Optical voltage measurement circuit and method for monitoring voltage supplies utilizing imaging circuit analysis
US6628126B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 14, 2001 |
| Grant date | Sep 30, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/311
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical voltage measurement circuit for use in an integrated circuit having at least one voltage power rail and method of operation thereof. The optical voltage measurement circuit includes a reference voltage rail that, in an advantageous embodiment, is coupled to an external variable power supply. The optical voltage measurement circuit also includes a switching device, such as a N-channel field effect transistor (NFET), that selectively couples the reference voltage rail to the voltage power rail to initiate a current flow therebetween, where the current flow generates an optical emission corresponding to a potential difference between the reference voltage and voltage power rails. In a related embodiment, the optical voltage measurement circuit further includes a current limiting resistor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.