Method for protecting a logic circuit against external radiation and associated electronic device
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsSylvain Clerc, Fabian Firmin, Philippe Roche
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for protecting an electronic circuit having at least one output against external radiation includes functionally duplicating the electronic circuit and linking the outputs of the electronic circuit and the duplicated electronic circuit to homologous inputs of at least functionally equivalent combinatorial or sequential elements. The homologous outputs of all the combinatorial or sequential elements are linked together. The electronic circuit can be duplicated multiple times.
Claims16
A method for protecting an electronic circuit against external radiation, the electronic circuit having a first single output, comprising:
- duplicating the electronic circuit, wherein the duplicated electronic circuit has a second single output;
- configuring the electronic circuit and the duplicated electronic circuit so that the second single output duplicates the first single output at all times;
- linking the first single output to first and second inputs of a first combinatorial or sequential element;
- linking the second single output to homologous first and second inputs of a second combinatorial or sequential element, wherein the second combinatorial or sequential element is at least functionally identical to the first combinatorial or sequential element;
- and
- linking together respective homologous outputs of the combinatorial or sequential elements.
An electronic device, comprising:
- N functionally identical electronic circuits, each having a single output, wherein N>1, and wherein the outputs of the N functionally identical electronic circuits are configured to be identical at all times;
- N functionally identical combinatorial or sequential elements, each having at least two inputs and one output;
- each of the single outputs of the electronic circuits being respectively linked to homologous first and second inputs of the combinatorial or sequential elements;
- and
- the homologous outputs of the combinatorial or sequential elements being respectively linked together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.