Design-for-test circuit for low pin count devices

Details Design-for-test circuit for low pin count devices Design-for-test circuit for low pin count devices

2007-09-25

2007-09-25

Karlsen, Ernest (Department: 2829)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C324S763010, C714S733000

Reexamination Certificate

active

11257706

ABSTRACT:
A design-for-test (DFT) circuit for an integrated circuit (IC) for enabling accurate quiescent current testing. The IC includes a voltage supply pin, a ground pin and an internal voltage regulator coupled between the voltage supply and ground pins for providing an internal output voltage. The DFT circuit includes a voltage storage device which couples to the voltage regulator to temporarily maintain the internal output voltage when the voltage regulator is disabled. The mode control circuit detects a quiescent current test mode, disables the voltage regulator and decouples the voltage regulator from the voltage storage device when the quiescent current test mode is detected. The DFT circuit may include an enable circuit which generates a freeze signal when the quiescent current test mode is detected, and at least one switch which decouples the voltage regulator from the voltage storage node. The DFT circuit is particularly useful for low pin-count ICs.

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