Semiconductor circuit having output circuit whose slew rate can be adjusted, apparatus and method for automatically adjusting slew rate of output circuit in semiconductor circuit
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorFumihiko Sakamoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high-level signal is sent to a mode control terminal, a pulse for slew-rate adjustment is sent to a replicated gate, and the slew rate at a measurement terminal is set to a desired value using a switch unit. The slew rate of the replicated gate having the same structure as the structure of output circuits and being formed on the same semiconductor substrate is set based on digital signal which are generated upon operation of the switch unit. The slew rate of output circuits is so adjusted as to be the same as the slew rate of the replicated gate.
Claims14
A semiconductor circuit including an output circuit whose slew rate can be adjusted and which outputs a signal, sent from an internal circuit, said semiconductor circuit comprising:
- at least one output circuit which outputs a signal sent from an internal circuit externally, and whose slew rate is adjusted in response to a setting signal;
- a replicated output circuit which has a same structure as a structure of the output circuit, receives a pulse signal and outputs a pulse signal, and whose slew rate is adjusted in response to the setting signal;
- a pulse signal supplier for slew rate adjustment which supplies said replicated output circuit with the pulse signal for slew rate adjustment;
- and
- a setting signal supplier which supplies the setting signal for setting a slew rate of said output circuit and said replicated output circuit, and
- wherein the slew rate of said replicated output circuit is set based on the setting signal, and the slew rate of the output circuit is adjusted to be substantially same as the slew rate of said replicated output circuit.
A circuit comprising:
- an output circuit whose slew rate can be adjusted based on a setting signal and which outputs a signal from an internal circuit to an external circuit;
- a replicated gate which has a same structure as a structure of the output circuit and whose slew rate can be adjusted based on a setting signal;
- a pulse signal supplier which supplies said replicated gate with a pulse signal;
- a digital signal supplier which supplies a set of digital signals set;
- and
- a memory which stores in a non-volatile manner the setting signal by which an adequate slew rate of said replicated gate is obtained, said memory outputting the stored setting signal to said output circuit.
A semiconductor circuit including an output circuit whose slew rate can be adjusted and which outputs a signal, from an internal circuit, externally from a semiconductor substrate, said semiconductor circuit comprising:
- a replicated gate which has a same structure as a structure of the output circuit and is arranged on a semiconductor substrate on which the output circuit is arranged;
- a measurement terminal through which a signal from said replicated gate is output;
- a pulse supplier for slew rate adjustment which supplies said replicated gate with a pulse signal for slew rate adjustment;
- a digital signal supplier which supplies a set of digital signals which are set according to a predetermined pattern, in order to set the slew rate of said replicated gate;
- and
- a memory which stores in a non-volatile manner one or more digital signals for setting the slew rate of said replicated gate to a desired value, of the set of digital signals set according to a predetermined pattern.
A circuit comprising:
- an output circuit which outputs a supplied signal, and whose slew rate can be adjusted in response to a setting signal;
- a replicated output circuit which receives a pulse signal and outputs a pulse signal and whose slew rate can be adjusted in response to the setting signal;
- a pulse signal supplier which supplies said replicated output circuit with a pulse signal;
- and
- a setting signal supplier which supplies the setting signal to said output circuit and said replicated output circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.