Clock pulse measuring and deskewing system and process

US5329188A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Cray Research, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Mark Ronald Sikkink · Chippewa Falls, US
• Kenneth A. Van Goor · Salt Point, US
• Gregory Roy Edlund · Rochester, US
• Arthur H. Orth · River Falls, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 9, 1991
• Grant date: Jul 12, 1994
• Expiry date: Dec 9, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F1/10
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The skew of a circuit within a clock pulse distributing network is determined by establishing a closed loop circuit including the circuit under test. A sampling period is established such as by a counter actuated by the clock pulses. During that sampling period, the number of pulses recurring within the closed loop circuit are counted in yet another counter. The count is then useful not only to indicate the magnitude of the circuit skew but also allows optimization of the delay introduced to the circuit under test during normal operation. The skew is thus determined dynamically under typical machine environment situations.