Method and apparatus for monitoring performance for secure chip operation

A method of monitoring performance of a processor to detect tampering and place the processor in a safe operating state that prevents unauthorized access to contents of the processor, comprising:

• during a normal operating mode and at least one of a power up and a reset mode, comparing a measured value of an operating temperature of the processor to a predefined set of high and low limits for the measured value to identify an out of limits measured value;
• and
• if an out of limits measured value is detected during the normal operating mode, causing the processor to enter a reset mode, and if an out of limits measured value is detected during the at least one of a power up and a reset mode, retaining the processor in a reset mode;
• wherein comparing a measured value comprises generating a first voltage across a first resistor being proportional to the operating temperature, generating a second voltage across a second resistor being proportional to the operating temperature, generating a temperature-independent first reference voltage as a function of a minimum limit input value, generating a temperature-independent second reference voltage as a function of a maximum limit input value, comparing the first voltage to the first reference voltage to determine if the first voltage is below the low limit, and comparing the second voltage to the second reference voltage to determine if the second voltage is above the high limit.

A method of monitoring performance of a processor to detect tampering and place the processor in a safe operating state that prevents unauthorized access to contents of the processor, comprising:

• during a normal operating mode and at least one of a power up and a reset mode, comparing a measured value of one of a plurality of supply voltages to the processor to a predefined set of high and low limits for the measured value to identify an out of limits measured value;
• and
• if an out of limits measured value is detected during the normal operating mode, causing the processor to enter a reset mode, and if an out of limits measured value is detected during the at least one of a power up and a reset mode, retaining the processor in a reset mode;
• wherein comparing a measured value comprises dividing the one supply voltage in a first divider circuit that is a function of a maximum limit input value to produce a first voltage, dividing the one supply voltage in a second divider circuit that is a function of a minimum limit input value to produce a second voltage, generating a temperature-independent reference voltage, comparing the first voltage to the reference voltage to determine if the first voltage is above the high limit, and comparing the second voltage to the reference voltage to determine if the second voltage is below the low limit.

A method of monitoring performance of a processor to detect tampering and place the processor in a safe operating state that prevents unauthorized access to contents of the processor, comprising:

• during a normal operating mode and at least one of a power up and a reset mode, comparing a measured value of a reference clock signal to a predefined set of high and low limits for the measured value to identify an out of limits measured value;
• and
• if an out of limits measured value is detected during the normal operating mode, causing the processor to enter a reset mode, and if an out of limits measured value is detected during the at least one of a power up and a reset mode, retaining the processor in a reset mode;
• wherein comparing a measured value comprises counting oscillations of a ring oscillator between rising edges of the reference clock signal to produce a period signal, counting oscillations of the ring oscillator between sequential rising and falling edges of the reference clock signal to produce a low time signal, comparing the period signal to predefined high and low limits to determine if the period signal is out of limits, and comparing the low time signal to predefined high and low limits to determine if the low time signal is out of limits.

An apparatus for monitoring performance of a processor to detect tampering and place the processor in a safe operating state that prevents unauthorized access to contents of the processor, comprising:

• a circuit that compares, during a normal operating mode and at least one of a power up and a reset mode, a first measured value being proportional to an operating temperature of the processor to a predefined set of high and low limits for the measured value to identify an out of limits measured value;
• wherein if an out of limits measured value is detected during the normal operating mode, the circuit causes the processor to enter a reset mode, and if an out of limits measured value is detected during the at least one of a power up and a reset mode, the circuit retains the processor in a reset mode;
• and
• wherein the circuit compares the first measured value by providing a plurality of minimum and maximum input signals from a digital circuit to an analog circuit, the plurality of minimum and maximum input signals corresponding to the predefined set of high and low limits, and by receiving at the digital circuit a plurality of minimum and maximum output signals from the analog circuit, the plurality of minimum and maximum output signals corresponding to results of comparisons of the first measured value to values determined by the minimum and maximum input signals.

An apparatus for monitoring performance of an integrated circuit (IC) to detect tampering and place the IC in a safe operating state that prevents unauthorized access to contents of the IC, comprising:

• a digital circuit;
• a platform security processor coupled to the digital circuit;
• and
• a thermal analog circuit coupled to the digital circuit and configured to measure an operating temperature of the IC, the thermal analog circuit including
• a proportional-to-absolute temperature block that generates a first voltage across a first resistor being proportional to the operating temperature and a second voltage across a second resistor being proportional to the operating temperature,
• a first reference divider network that divides a temperature-independent voltage to a first reference voltage as a function of a maximum limit input value from the digital circuit,
• a second reference divider network that divides the temperature-independent voltage to a second reference voltage as a function of a minimum limit input value from the digital circuit,
• a first comparator that compares the first voltage to the first reference voltage and provides a first output to the digital circuit indicating whether the first voltage is above the first reference voltage, and
• a second comparator that compares the second voltage to the second reference voltage and provides a second output to the digital circuit indicating whether the second voltage is above the second reference voltage;
• wherein the digital circuit provides an output signal to the platform security processor indicating a status of the operating temperature based on the first output and the second output, and the platform security processor determines whether to permit normal operation of the IC based on the digital circuit output signal.

An apparatus for monitoring performance of a processor to detect tampering and place the processor in a safe operating state that prevents unauthorized access to contents of the processor, comprising:

• a digital circuit;
• a platform security processor coupled to the digital circuit;
• and
• a voltage analog circuit coupled to the digital circuit and configured to measure a selected one of a plurality of supply voltages to the processor, the voltage analog circuit including
• a plurality of supply voltage inputs each configured to receive a different selected supply voltage,
• a first divider circuit configured to divide the selected supply voltage as a function of a maximum limit input value from the digital circuit to produce a first voltage,
• a second divider circuit configured to divide the selected supply voltage as a function of a minimum limit input value from the digital circuit to produce a second voltage,
• a bandgap block that generates a temperature-independent reference voltage across a reference resistor,
• a first comparator that compares the first voltage to the reference voltage and provides a first output to the digital circuit indicating whether the first voltage is above a high limit, and
• a second comparator that compares the second voltage to the reference voltage and provides a second output to the digital circuit indicating whether the second voltage is below a low limit;
• wherein the digital circuit provides an output signal to the platform security processor indicating a status of the selected supply voltage based on the first output and the second output, and the platform security processor determines whether to permit normal operation of the processor based on the digital circuit output signal.

An apparatus for monitoring performance of an processor to detect tampering with a reference clock signal and place the processor in a safe operating state that prevents unauthorized access to contents of the processor, comprising:

• a digital circuit;
• a platform security processor coupled to the digital circuit;
• a period detector coupled to the digital circuit and including a ring oscillator;
• and
• a low time detector coupled to the digital circuit and including a ring oscillator;
• wherein the period detector count a number of oscillations of the ring oscillator of the period detector that occur between successive rising edges of the reference clock signal and provides a period signal to the digital circuit, and the low time detector counts a number of oscillations of the ring oscillator of the low time detector that occur between a rising edge of the reference clock signal and a successive falling edge of the reference clock signal and provides a low time signal to the digital circuit;
• and
• wherein the digital circuit compares the period signal to predefined high and low limits to determine if the period signal is out of limits, compares the low time signal to predefined high and low limits to determine if the low time signal is out of limits, and provides a frequency signal to the platform security processor indicating a status of the reference clock signal based on the comparisons of the period signal and the low time signal to the predefined high and low limits, the platform security processor determining whether to permit normal operation of the processor based on the status of the reference clock signal.