Detecting an unstable input to an IC

US8510072B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Thomas Buechner · Rabenau, DE
• Martin Eckert · Metzingen, DE
• Matthias Klein · Poughkeepsie, US
• Manfred Walz · Pfalzgrafenweiler, DE
• Andreas Wagner · Eppelheim, DE
• Gerhard Zilles

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 12, 2010
• Grant date: Aug 13, 2013
• Expiry date: Oct 22, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/318572
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Additional circuitry is included in an input cell design structure for an integrated circuit to detect and report transitions on an input that was expected to be stable, and to store that event for later analysis. Two or more modified input cells may have their error indications daisy-chained together to minimize additional routing. The storage elements may be included in a scan chain to allow for isolation of which input had the unexpected transition.