Integrated circuit device

US7400130B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Joern Naujokat · Freising, DE
• Ralf Sonnhueter · Schrobenhausen, DE
• Markus Dietl · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 30, 2006
• Grant date: Jul 15, 2008
• Expiry date: Jan 12, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03L7/08
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An integrated circuit device comprises internally on-chip an oscillator with a signal output. The device has a reference clock input, a first counter with a count input, a control input and a counter output, a second counter with a count input, a control input and an overflow indication output, and a test control logic circuit. The count input of the first counter is connected to the signal output of the oscillator. The count input of the second counter is connected to the reference clock input. The overflow indication output of the second counter is connected to an input of the test control logic circuit. The test control circuit has an output connected to the control input of the first counter to apply a stop counting control signal to the first counter after it has received an overflow indication signal from the second counter. The first counter after it has received a stop counting control signal provides a count at the counter output which is indicative of the output frequency of the oscillator. The device includes all the hardware necessary to perform an on-chip test of the oscillator, thereby obviating the need for serial testing on sophisticated and expensive test equipment…