Mitigation of single event latchup
AssigneeXilinx, Inc.
InventorsPierre Maillard, Jue Arver, Michael J. Hart, John K. Jennings
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed IC includes a load circuit and a temperature sensor circuit. The temperature sensor circuit measures temperature of the IC and stores temperature data in a register. An SEL mitigation circuit monitors the IC for a temperature change indicative of an SEL. A temperature change greater than a threshold over a time interval is indicative of an SEL. The SEL mitigation circuit is configured to reduce voltage applied to the IC to a voltage level that clears an SEL in the IC in response to a temperature change exceeding the threshold and to increase voltage applied to the load circuit after the reduction in voltage.
Claims20
An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
- a load circuit;
- a temperature sensor circuit configured and arranged to measure temperature of the IC and store data indicative of the temperature in a register;
- and
- a single event latchup (SEL) mitigation circuit coupled to the register and configured and arranged to monitor the IC for a temperature change indicative of an SEL, wherein a temperature change greater than a threshold over a time interval is indicative of an SEL, and in monitoring, the SEL mitigation circuit is configured to:
- read from the register data indicative of a first temperature of the IC at a beginning of the time interval,
- read from the register data indicative of a second temperature of the IC at an end of the time interval,
- determine a difference between the second temperature and the first temperature,
- reduce voltage applied to the load circuit to a voltage level that clears an SEL in the load circuit in response to the difference being greater than the threshold, and
- increase voltage applied to the load circuit after the reduction in voltage.
A method of mitigating effects of single-event latchup (SEL) in an integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
- monitoring the IC for a temperature change indicative of an SEL, wherein a temperature change greater than a threshold over a time interval is indicative of an SEL, and the monitoring includes:
- determining a first temperature of the IC at a beginning of the time interval,
- determining a second temperature of the IC at an end of the time interval, and
- determining a difference between the second temperature and the first temperature;
- and
- in response to the difference being greater than the threshold:
- reducing voltage applied to a load circuit implemented on the IC, to a voltage level that clears an SEL in the load circuit, and
- increasing voltage applied to the load circuit after the reducing of the voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.