On-Chip Dynamic IR Drop Oscilloscope Circuitry

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional on-chip oscilloscopes face challenges in monitoring voltage waveforms on semiconductor chips due to difficulties in incorporating components in shrinking chip areas and the need for low power systems with high transistor switching rates, leading to issues with debugging silicon failures and understanding voltage waveforms.

Innovation Solution

The development of an on-chip oscilloscope circuitry that includes a sensor circuitry with sample and hold circuits and sense amplifiers, a voltage generation circuitry to provide a reference voltage, a finite state machine to control operations, and a latch circuitry to store outputs, enabling the comparison of voltage samples to a reference voltage and generating flags for dynamic IR drop analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If conventional on-chip oscilloscope components are incorporated, then voltage waveform monitoring capability is improved, but chip area consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoltage waveform monitoring capabilityVSAvoidchip area

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The oscilloscope functionality is divided into discrete operational phases (sampling phase, holding phase, comparison phase) implemented through segmented circuit blocks. The sample and hold circuitry is separated into distinct sampling switches and hold capacitors, while the comparison function is segmented across multiple reference voltage levels. This segmentation enables compact layout by distributing functional elements across the chip rather than concentrating all oscilloscope components in one location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sample and hold circuitry is designed to serve multiple functions: it samples voltage waveforms for oscilloscope display, provides voltage references for comparison operations, and can be reused across different measurement intervals. The hold capacitors serve both as memory elements for the oscilloscope and as reference voltage sources for the comparison logic. This multi-functionality reduces the total component count and chip area required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If conventional on-chip oscilloscope components are incorporated, then voltage waveform monitoring capability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoltage waveform monitoring capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The oscilloscope operates using periodic sampling rather than continuous monitoring. Sampling switches are activated at specific intervals to capture voltage waveforms, and the sample and hold circuitry is refreshed periodically. This periodic operation allows the circuit to remain in a low-power state between sampling events, significantly reducing average power consumption compared to continuous monitoring approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The comparison function is extracted as a separate operational phase that occurs after sampling and holding. During the sampling phase, only the minimal necessary circuitry is active. The comparison operation is performed later using the held samples and reference voltages, allowing the sampling switches and input buffers to be powered down or placed in high-impedance state, thereby reducing overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Measurement precision

If voltage sampling and comparison operations are performed, then dynamic IR drop measurement precision is improved, but measurement time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevoltage resolutionVSAvoidmeasurement time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple reference voltage levels are pre-established and held in the sample and hold circuitry before the comparison operation begins. The sampling phase captures voltage waveforms and stores them in hold capacitors in advance. When measurement is required, the pre-prepared references can be immediately compared against the stored samples without requiring real-time generation or adjustment of reference voltages, thus reducing measurement time while maintaining high voltage resolution through the multiple reference levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250052788A1Systems, apparatuses, and methods for on chip dynamic IR drop oscilloscope

Publication Date: 2025.02.13 STMICROELECTRONICS INT NV

AI summary

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for an on chip dynamic IR oscilloscope are provided. An oscilloscope circuitry may comprise sensor circuitry, voltage generator circuitry, finite state machine, and latch circuitry. The sensor circuitry may include digital logic circuitry, sample and hold circuitry, and sense amplifier circuitry. The voltage generator circuitry may include a voltage generator, analog buffers, switches, and high speed buffer. The finite state machine may control the sensor circuitry to sample a voltage waveform and the voltage generator circuitry to generate a reference voltage that may change over time. The sensing amplifier circuitry may compare the samples to the reference voltage to generate flags when a sample exceeds a reference voltage. The flags may be used to stored the voltages associated with the flags, which may be used to redraw the waveform sampled.