# US 8,788,850 B1 · Systems and methods for using a security circuit to monitor a voltage of an integrated circuit to counter security threats to the integrated circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,850 B1 - Document ID: US8788850B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 12/684,424 - Filed: 2010-01-08 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-01-22 - Assignees: Marvell International Ltd. - Applicants: Rohit K. Kaul; Jon E. Tourville - Inventors: Rohit K. Kaul; Jon E. Tourville - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788850B1 ## CPC - G06F 21/755: {with measures against power attack} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract One embodiment, having a corresponding method, features an integrated circuit comprising: a power supply terminal configured to receive electrical power; a core circuit powered by the electrical power, wherein the core circuit comprises a volatile memory configured to store data; a clock source configured to provide a clock signal at a selected frequency, wherein the selected frequency is one of a plurality of possible frequencies of the clock signal, and a processor configured to operate according to the clock signal; and a security circuit configured to reset the core circuit based on the selected frequency of the to clock signal and a voltage of the power supply terminal, wherein resetting the core circuit clears the data from the volatile memory. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit comprising: a power supply terminal configured to receive a voltage; a core circuit configured to be powered by the voltage received by the power supply terminal, wherein the core circuit comprises a volatile memory configured to store data, a clock source configured to provide a clock signal at a selected frequency, wherein the selected frequency is one of a plurality of possible frequencies of the clock signal, each of the plurality of possible frequencies being associated with a different respective allowed voltage range, and a processor configured to operate according to the clock signal at the selected frequency; and a security circuit configured to reset the core circuit based on a comparison between i) the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal and ii) the voltage received at the power supply terminal, wherein resetting the core circuit clears the data from the volatile memory. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A system-on-a-chip (SOC) comprising the integrated circuit of claim 1. ### Claim 3 An integrated circuit, comprising: a power supply terminal configured to receive a voltage; a core circuit configured to be powered by the voltage received by the power supply terminal, wherein the core circuit comprises a volatile memory configured to store data, a clock source configured to provide a clock signal at a selected frequency, wherein the selected frequency is one of a plurality of possible frequencies of the clock signal, and a processor configured to operate according to the clock signal at the selected frequency; a security circuit configured to reset the core circuit based on i) the selected frequency of the clock signal and ii) the voltage of the power supply terminal, wherein resetting the core circuit clears the data from the volatile memory; and a non-volatile memory configured to store a plurality of performance points, wherein each performance point associates one of a plurality of voltage ranges with one of the possible frequencies of the clock signal; wherein the security circuit resets the core circuit based on a performance point corresponding to the selected frequency of the clock signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The integrated circuit of claim 3: wherein the security circuit resets the core circuit when the voltage of the power supply terminal is below the voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The integrated circuit of claim 3: wherein the security circuit is configured to inform the processor when the voltage of the power supply terminal is above the voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein the security circuit comprises: an analog-to-digital converter configured to provide a voltage number based on the voltage of the power supply terminal; a control circuit configured to assert a first error signal when the voltage of the power supply terminal is below the voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal; and a reset circuit configured to assert a reset signal when the first error signal is asserted; wherein the core circuit is reset when the reset signal is asserted. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The integrated circuit of claim 6: wherein the analog-to-digital converter asserts a second error signal when the voltage of the power supply terminal is below an operating range of the analog-to-digital converter; and wherein the reset circuit asserts the reset signal when the second error signal is asserted. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: receiving a voltage at a power supply terminal of an integrated circuit; generating, within the integrated circuit, a clock signal at a selected one of a plurality of possible frequencies, wherein each of the plurality of possible frequencies is associated with a different respective allowed voltage range; storing data in a volatile memory of the integrated circuit; processing the data according to the clock signal at the selected frequency; and clearing the data from the volatile memory based on a comparison between i) the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal and ii) the voltage received at the power supply terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein clearing the data from the volatile memory comprises: determining the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal; and clearing the data from the volatile memory when the voltage received at the power supply terminal is below the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein clearing the data from the volatile memory comprises: disconnecting the volatile memory from the power supply terminal of the integrated circuit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: informing a processor of the integrated circuit when the voltage received at the power supply terminal is above the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1: wherein the security circuit is configured to reset the core circuit when the voltage received at the power supply terminal is below the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1: wherein the security circuit is configured to inform the processor when the voltage received at the power supply terminal is above the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the security circuit comprises: an analog-to-digital converter configured to provide a voltage number based on the voltage received at the power supply terminal; a control circuit configured to assert a first error signal when the voltage received at the power supply terminal is below the respective allowed voltage range associated with the selected frequency of the clock signal; and a reset circuit configured to assert a reset signal when the first error signal is asserted; wherein the core circuit is reset when the reset signal is asserted. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The integrated circuit of claim 14: wherein the analog-to-digital converter is configured to assert a second error signal when the voltage received at the power supply terminal is below an operating range of the analog-to-digital converter; and wherein the reset circuit is configured to assert the reset signal when the second error signal is asserted. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising: a non-volatile memory configured to store a plurality of performance points, wherein each performance point associates one of the plurality of possible frequencies with one of the respective allowed voltage ranges, wherein the security circuit is configured to reset the core circuit based on a performance point corresponding to the selected frequency of the clock signal.