Patent · US Expired

Communication interface for diagnostic circuits of an integrated circuit

US7197680B2 · kind B2 · utility

24Cited by
5References
63Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 17, 2003
Grant dateMar 27, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 1, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/31713
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An integrated circuit including diagnostic circuitry having serial scan chains or debug bus access circuits for establishing communication using an interface circuit coupled with a bi-directional serial link to an external diagnostic device. The bi-directional serial link carries both data and control signals. The serial protocol provides for a pacing signal for indicating to the external diagnostic device when it is ready to receive more data and/or when it has completed a particular diagnostic operation. This provides a self-pacing ability. A training signal generated by the external diagnostic device is detected by the interface circuit on initialization and used to derive sampling point timings.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.