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US 8,553,503 B2Granted
On-die signal timing measurement
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsIgor V. Molchanov, Matthew W. Heath
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a timing relationship between two signals on an integrated circuit is measured using a ring oscillator on the die of the integrated circuit. The measured time difference is outputted in a digital form. A delay line coupled to the ring oscillator may be used to reduce uncertainty in measurement which may result from the effects of latch circuit metastability. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- measuring a timing relationship between two signals on an integrated circuit, comprising:
- measuring a time difference between transitions of the two signals on an integrated circuit using a ring oscillator of said integrated circuit wherein said time difference measuring includes initiating a ring oscillator transition of an output of an entry stage of a ring of stages of the ring oscillator, propagating the ring oscillator transition around the ring of stages of the ring oscillator back to the entry stage of the ring oscillator and propagating in response to the ring oscillator transition, a delay line transition through a line of stages of a delay line receiving the output of the last stage of the ring oscillator wherein the stages of the delay line are connected in the line with the output of one stage connected to the input of the next stage in the line;
- and
- outputting the measured time difference in a digital form.
1 more element
A device, comprising:
- an integrated circuit on a die having an timing measurement circuit onboard said die and adapted to measure the timing relationship between two signals on said integrated circuit, said timing measurement circuit comprising:
- a ring oscillator adapted to measure a time difference between transitions of the two signals on said integrated circuit, wherein said ring oscillator includes a ring of stages including an entry stage adapted to initiate a ring oscillator output transition in response, said ring of stages is adapted to propagate said ring oscillator transition around the ring of stages, and wherein said timing measurement circuit further comprises a delay line which includes a line of stages coupled to an output of the last stage of the ring oscillator and adapted to propagate in response to the ring oscillator transition, a delay line transition through the line of stages of the delay line wherein the stages of the delay line are connected in the line with the output of one stage connected to the input of the next stage in the line;
- and
- a calculation circuit coupled to the output of the ring oscillator and adapted to output data which is a function of the measured time difference of the ring oscillator in a digital form.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.