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US 7,443,180 B2Granted
On-chip probing apparatus
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMoises Cases, Daniel N. de Araujo, Bradley D. Herrman, Erdem Matoglu, Bhyrav M. Mutnury, Pravin S. Patel, Nam H. Pham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention is directed to an on-chip probing apparatus. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the on-chip probing apparatus includes: a plurality of switches on a chip; a plurality of externally accessible probe points on the chip; and a multiplexer for controlling the plurality of switches to selectively couple an output signal of the chip to one of the plurality of probe points.
Claims6
An on-chip probing apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of externally accessible probe points on a chip, wherein each probe point is associated with, and selectively connectable to, a different pair of output signals of the chip;
- a switching circuit coupled to each probe point and the pair of output signals associated with the probe point, the switching circuit comprising a first switch for selectively connecting a first of the pair of output signals to the probe point and a second switch for selectively connecting a second of the pair of output signals to the probe point;
- a multiplexer for controlling the first and second switches in each switching circuit to selectively connect an output signal of the chip to a respective probe point on the chip;
- and
- a package for the chip;
- wherein the package includes a plurality of external probe points for accessing the probe points on the chip, and a plurality of signal pins, separate from the external probe points, for accessing the output signals of the chip.
3 more elements
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a plurality of externally accessible probe points on the integrated circuit, wherein each probe point is associated with, and selectively connectable to, a different pair of output signals of the integrated circuit;
- a switching circuit coupled to each probe point and the pair of output signals associated with the probe point, the switching circuit comprising a first switch for selectively connecting a first of the pair of output signals to the probe point and a second switch for selectively connecting a second of the pair of output signals to the probe point;
- a multiplexer for controlling the first and second switches in each switching circuit to selectively connect an output signal of the integrated circuit to a respective probe point on the chip;
- and
- a package for the integrated circuit;
- wherein the package includes a plurality of external probe points for accessing the probe points on the integrated circuit, and a plurality of signal pins, separate from the external probe points, for accessing the output signals of the integrated circuit.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.