# US 8,543,870 B2 · Circuit for detecting and recording chip fails and the method thereof

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- Number: US 8,543,870 B2
- Document ID: US8543870B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/026,684
- Filed: 2011-02-14
- Published: 2012-08-16
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2011-02-14
- Assignees: Nanya Technology Corporation
- Applicants: Stephen Potvin
- Inventors: Stephen Potvin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543870B2

## CPC

- G01R 31/31935: {Storing data, e.g. failure memory}
- G01R 31/31705: {Debugging aspects, e.g. using test circuits for debugging, using dedicated debugging test circuits (generation of test sequences therefor G01R31/31835, using scan test therefor G01R31/318544)}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

A circuit for detecting and recording chip fails according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a common error bus, a plurality of fail detector modules and a control center. Each of the plurality of fail detector modules is configured to receive at least a data signal to determine an occurrence of a chip fail and to correspondingly broadcast a fail code on the common error bus when the common error bus is not busy. The control center is configured to record a fail code from the common error bus and to report the recorded fail code when required.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit for detecting and recording chip fails, comprising:
a common error bus, wherein the common error bus comprises:
a bus status line, carrying a bus state signal indicating either an idle state or a busy state of the common error bus;
a bus clock line, carrying a bus clock signal; and
a bus data line, carrying a fail code from one of the plurality of fail detector modules to the control center;
a plurality of fail detector modules, each of which is configured to receive at least a data signal to determine an occurrence of a chip fail and to correspondingly broadcast a fail code on the common error bus when the common error bus is not busy, wherein each of the plurality of fail detector modules comprises:
a combinational logic, including a plurality of input ports to receive the at least a data signal, the bus state signal, the bus clock signal and a reset signal and a plurality of output ports to provide a local busy signal and the bus state signal; and
a data transmission block, including a plurality of input ports to receive the bus clock signal, the reset signal and the local busy signal and an output port to broadcast a fail code on the bus data line of the common error bus;
wherein the combinational logic is configured to provide the bus state signal indicating the busy state of the common error bus and to instruct the data transmission block to broadcast a fail code when the combinational logic determines an occurrence of a chip fail according to the at least a data signal, and to provide the bus state signal indicating the idle state of the common error bus when the combinational logic receives the reset signal;
wherein the data transmission block is configured to broadcast a fail code on the bus data line when receiving the local busy signal and to stop broadcasting when receiving the reset signal; and
a control center, configured to record a fail code from the common error bus and to report the recorded fail code when required.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the data transmission block broadcasts every bit of the fail code in parallel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the data transmission block broadcasts each bit of the fail code serially.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fail detector modules is configured to receive two data signals to determine an occurrence of a chip fail.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fail detector modules corresponds to a unique fail code.

### Claim 6

A circuit for detecting and recording chip fails, comprising:
a common error bus, wherein the common error bus comprises:
a bus status line, carrying a bus state signal indicating either an idle state or a busy state of the common error bus;
a bus clock line, carrying a bus clock signal; and
a bus data line, carrying a fail code from one of the plurality of fail detector modules to the control center;
a plurality of fail detector modules, each of which is configured to receive at least a data signal to determine an occurrence of a chip fail and to correspondingly broadcast a fail code on the common error bus when the common error bus is not busy; and
a control center, configured to record a fail code from the common error bus and to report the recorded fail code when required, wherein the control center comprises:
a memory array, including a read port and a write port;
a control logic, including a plurality of input ports to receive the bus state signal, the bus clock signal and a fail code from the common error bus and an output port to store the fail code to the memory array through the write port; and
a data request logic, including a plurality of input ports to receive the bus clock signal and a read request signal and an output port to report a fail code retrieved from the memory array through the read port;
wherein the control logic is configured to collect a fail code from the common error bus and store the collected fail code to the memory array when the state of the common error bus indicated by the bus state signal is busy;
wherein the data request logic is configured to read a fail code from the memory array and report the read fail code when the data request logic receives the read request signal.