Systems and methods mitigating temperature dependence of circuitry in electronic devices
AssigneeAnalog Test Engines
InventorJeffrey Allen King
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for compensating for temperature variation in the performance of electronic circuits and systems are disclosed. In some embodiments, the systems are configured to store compensation parameters determined in calibration, where the compensation parameters are used by the systems to modify performance. In some embodiments, the systems are part of an automatic test equipment (ATE) system.
Claims12
An electronic device, comprising:
- an integrated circuit (IC) substrate;
- a plurality of circuits on the substrate, each comprising:
- an input unit configured to receive one of a plurality of reference signals, and
- an output unit configured to generate an output signal, wherein at least one parameter of the output signal is dependent at least in part on the received one reference signal and on a circuit temperature, such that a change in the parameter in response to a change in the temperature is based partly on the reference signal;
- and
- a plurality of reference signal generators on the substrate, each reference signal generator configured to generate a reference signal for a corresponding one of the circuits, wherein each reference signal generator comprises:
- an input unit configured to receive one of a plurality of control inputs, and
- an output unit configured to generate a reference signal for the corresponding one circuit, wherein the reference signal for the corresponding one circuit is dependent at least in part on the circuit temperature of the corresponding one circuit, and wherein the temperature dependence of the reference signal for the corresponding one circuit is based at least in part on the received one control input.
A method of programming an electronic device, the device comprising a plurality of circuits on an integrated circuit substrate, each circuit having a corresponding a programmable reference signal generator, wherein the reference signal generators are each configured to generate a reference signal based at least in part on a programmable code value and on a temperature, and wherein each circuit is configured to generate an output based at least in part on the corresponding reference signal, wherein at least one parameter of the output is dependent at least in part on the corresponding reference signal and on the corresponding temperature, the method comprising:
- programming a first reference signal generator with each of a first plurality of first code values;
- programming a second reference signal generator with each of a second plurality of second code values;
- setting the temperature corresponding to the first reference signal generator to each of a first plurality of temperature values;
- setting the temperature corresponding to the second reference signal generator to each of a second plurality of temperature values;
- measuring a first parameter of the output of the circuit corresponding to the first reference signal generator for each of a plurality of combinations of the first code values and the first temperature values;
- measuring a second parameter of the output of the circuit corresponding to the second reference signal generator for each of a plurality of combinations of the second code values and the second temperature values;
- selecting a first programming code value based on the measured first parameters;
- selecting a second programming code value based on the measured second parameters;
- programming the first reference signal generator with the first programming code value;
- and
- programming the second reference signal generator with the second programming code value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.