Texas Instruments Corporation

Suresh Mallala

Nitin Kumar Agarwal

Rubin Ajit Parekhji

Ranjit Kumar Dash

Sudhir Polarouthu

Somshubhra Paul

Lakshmanan Balasubramanian

Nadeem Husain Tehsildar

Sundara Siva Rao Giduturi

In one embodiment, a method of operating a computational system to evaluate a device under test, where the device under test is operable to receive a digital code input and output in response a corresponding output. The method injects a plurality of simulated faults into a pre-silicon model of the device under test. For each injected simulated fault, the method inputs a plurality of digital codes to the model. For each input digital code, the method selectively stores the input digital code if a difference, between a corresponding output for the input digital code and a no-fault output for the input, exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Identifying defect sensitive codes for testing devices with input or output code

A differential input stage of a circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, and a fourth transistor. Drains of the first and third transistors couple together at a first node, and drains of the second and fourth transistors couple together at a second node. A first slew boost circuit includes a fifth transistor and a first current mirror. A gate of the fifth transistor couples to the second node. A source of the fifth transistor couples to the first node. The first current mirror couples to the fifth transistor and to the second node. A second slew boost circuit includes a sixth transistor and a second current mirror. A gate of the sixth transistor couples to the first node. A source of the sixth transistor couples to the second node. The second current mirror couples to the sixth transistor and to the first node.

Slew boost circuit for an operational amplifier

In an embodiment, a voltage regulator is disclosed. The voltage regulator circuit includes a switch, a first feedback circuit and a second feedback circuit. The switch is configured to receive an input signal at a first terminal and an error signal at a second terminal and configured to generate an output signal at a third terminal. The first feedback circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor configured to control the error signal at the second terminal of the switch in response to a difference between the output signal and a reference signal. The second feedback circuit is configured to sense the error signal and generate a tail current at the second node and the fourth node to maintain substantially equal currents in the first transistor and the second transistor, respectively, thereby causing a voltage of the output signal as substantially equal to a voltage of the reference signal.

Low dropout voltage regulator circuits

Circuits and methods for providing short-circuit protection in a voltage regulator are disclosed. A voltage regulator includes a pass switch, a voltage error amplifier, a driver circuit, and a short-circuit protection circuit. The pass element is coupled to a power supply and a load, and generates an output voltage in response to a drive signal. The voltage error amplifier generates an error voltage based on a difference of a reference voltage and the output voltage and the driver circuit generates the drive signal in response to the error voltage. The short-circuit protection circuit senses the drive signal and provides a high-resistance path to the driver circuit in a short-circuit event. In a short-circuit event, the high-resistance path clamps current in the driver circuit thereby clamping a voltage difference between the first and third terminals and thereby limiting a load current in the short-circuit event.

Short-circuit protection for voltage regulators

The systems and methods of auto-configurable switching/linear regulation disclosed herein enable a device to operate in both DC-to-DC switching regulation and linear regulation applications. The systems and methods disclosed herein differentiate between switching and linear mode. If the application is for a linear regulator, there will only be a capacitor on the output. If the application is for switching mode regulation, there will be an inductor and a capacitor on the output. Then based on the determination, the mode is selected and the hardware is converted into switching regulator operation or linear regulator operation.

Growing community of inventors

Hyderabad Telangana, India

Suresh Mallala