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.
Claims23
1-16. (canceled)
An electronic device, comprising:
- a circuit, comprising:
- a signal input configured to receive a controllably variable input signal,
- a reference input unit configured to receive a reference signal, and
- an output unit configured to generate a variable output signal corresponding to the input signal, wherein the correspondence of the output signal to the input signal is dependent at least in part on a temperature, and wherein the dependence of the correspondence on the temperature is based at least in part on the reference signal, such that a change in the correspondence in response to a change in the temperature is based partly on the reference signal;
- a reference signal generator, comprising:
- an input unit configured to receive a control input, and
- an output unit configured to generate the reference signal for the circuit, wherein the reference signal is dependent at least in part on the temperature, and wherein the temperature dependence of the reference signal is based at least in part on the control input;
- and
- a programmable register, configured to generate the control input of the reference signal generator based on a programmed register value, wherein the programmed register value is determined based on a plurality of measurements of the output signal at a plurality of temperatures and at a plurality of control inputs.
A method of programming an electronic device, the device comprising a circuit and a programmable reference signal generator, wherein the reference signal generator is configured to generate a reference signal based at least in part on a programmable code value and on a temperature, and wherein the circuit is configured to generate a variable output signal corresponding to the input signal, wherein the correspondence of the output signal to the input signal is dependent at least in part on a temperature, and wherein the dependence of the correspondence on the temperature is based at least in part on the reference signal, such that a change in the correspondence in response to a change in the temperature is based partly on the reference signal, the method comprising:
- programming the reference signal generator with each of multiple code values;
- setting the temperature to each of multiple temperature values;
- measuring a value of the variable output signal for each of a plurality of combinations of the multiple code values and the multiple temperature values;
- selecting a programming code value based on the measured variable output signal values;
- and
- programming the reference signal generator with the selected programming code value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.