Voltage Detection Circuit with Coarse and Fine Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional voltage detection circuits spend excessive time adjusting the resistance value of the variable resistance portion during the manufacturing process, leading to increased manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A voltage detection circuit incorporating both coarse and fine adjustment variable resistance circuits, controlled by a comparator and control circuits, allowing for rapid adjustment of resistance values using a combination of resistor networks and MOS transistors, completing adjustments within a few clock cycles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If sequential adjustment of variable resistance portion is performed using a single clock signal, then the circuit structure is simple, but the adjustment time becomes excessively long (2X clock cycles)

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecircuit structureVSAvoidadjustment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The variable resistance portion is divided into two independent segments: a coarse adjustment variable resistance portion and a fine adjustment variable resistance portion. Each segment has its own control circuit and operates independently with its own clock signal, allowing parallel execution of adjustment operations rather than sequential execution, thereby reducing total adjustment time while maintaining circuit simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coarse adjustment is performed first to quickly bring the resistance value close to the target range, and then the fine adjustment is performed to precisely reach the target value. This preliminary action approach reduces the total number of clock cycles needed compared to performing only fine adjustment from scratch

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If more series resistors are added to increase adjustment precision, then the resistance value accuracy improves, but the adjustment time increases proportionally

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance value accuracyVSAvoidadjustment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The resistance adjustment range is segmented into coarse and fine portions, each handled by dedicated variable resistance circuits. The coarse adjustment handles large resistance changes with fewer steps, while the fine adjustment handles small precision adjustments, thereby achieving high overall precision without requiring a large number of sequential adjustment steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The adjustment process transitions from a single-dimensional sequential approach to a two-dimensional parallel approach by introducing separate coarse and fine adjustment channels. This allows the system to achieve high precision through coordinated operation of two dimensions rather than increasing the number of steps in a single dimension

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS11255880B2Voltage detection circuit, semiconductor device, and semiconductor device manufacturing method

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 ABLIC INC

AI summary

A voltage detection circuit includes a resistance dividing circuit containing a coarse adjustment variable resistance circuit and a fine adjustment variable resistance circuit, a coarse adjustment circuit controlling the coarse adjustment variable resistance circuit, a fine adjustment circuit controlling the fine adjustment variable resistance circuit, and a control circuit controlling the coarse adjustment circuit and the fine adjustment circuit based upon a detection signal of a comparator circuit.