Apparatus and method for accurately tuning the speed of an integrated circuit

An apparatus for determining the slack in a monitored path on an integrated circuit, comprising:

• a monitored circuit path;
• a variable delay circuit element coupled to the monitored circuit path;
• a comparator circuit element coupled to the variable delay circuit element;
• and
• a controller circuit element coupled to the variable delay circuit element, wherein the variable delay circuit element receives a data signal from the monitored path and adds a first delay to the data signal from the monitored path to generate a delayed data signal, wherein a first value of the data signal is compared, in the comparator circuit element, to a second value of the delayed data signal, and wherein the controller determines if the first value and the second value match and outputs a third value corresponding to a second delay of the delayed data signal, the third value being indicative of the slack in the monitored path for evaluating speed performance of the integrated circuit, if the first value and the second value do not match, wherein the third value is used to tune a speed of the integrated circuit.

An apparatus for determining the slack in a monitored path on an integrated circuit, comprising:

• a monitored circuit path;
• a variable delay circuit element coupled to the monitored circuit path;
• a first capture latch coupled to the monitored path that receives a data signal from the monitored path and outputs the data signal to a comparator circuit element;
• a second capture latch coupled to the variable delay circuit element that receives a delayed data signal from the variable delay circuit element and outputs the delayed data signal to the comparator circuit element;
• and
• a controller circuit element coupled to the variable delay circuit element, wherein the variable delay circuit element receives a data signal from the monitored path and adds a first delay to the data signal from the monitored path to generate the delayed data signal, wherein a first value of the data signal is compared, in the comparator circuit element, to a second value of the delayed data signal, and wherein the controller determines if the first value and the second value match and outputs a third value corresponding to a second delay of the delayed data signal, the third value being indicative of the slack in the monitored path, if the first value and the second value do not match.

An apparatus for determining the slack in a monitored path on an integrated circuit, comprising:

• means for receiving a data signal from the monitored path;
• means for adding a first delay to the data signal from the monitored path to generate a delayed data signal;
• means for adding a first delay to the data signal from the monitored path to generate a delayed data signal;
• means for comparing a first value of the data signal to a second value of the delayed data signal;
• means for determining if the first value and the second value match;
• and
• means for outputting a third value corresponding to a second delay of the delayed data signal, the third value being indicative of the slack in the monitored path for evaluating speed performance of the integrated circuit, if the first value and the second value do not match, wherein the third value is used to tune a speed of the integrated circuit.