Counter circuitry and methods including a master counter providing initialization data and fault detection data and wherein a threshold count difference of a fault detection count is dependent upon the fault detection data

Abstract

Apparatus comprises master counter circuitry to generate a master count signal in response to a clock signal; slave counter circuitry responsive to the clock signal to generate a respective slave count signal, the slave counter circuitry having associated fault detection circuitry; and a synchronisation connection providing signal communication between the master counter circuitry and the slave counter circuitry, the master counter circuitry being configured to provide via the synchronisation connection: initialisation data at an initialisation operation; and fault detection data at a fault detection operation; the initialisation data and subsequent fault detection data each representing respective indications of a state of the master count signal; the slave counter circuitry being configured, during an initialisation operation for that slave counter circuitry, to initialise a counting operation of that slave counter circuitry in response to the initialisation data provided by the master counter circuitry; and the fault detection circuitry associated with the slave counter circuitry being configured, during a fault detection operation for that slave counter circuitry, to detect whether a counting operation of that slave counter circuitry generates a slave count signal which is within a threshold count difference of a fault detection count value dependent upon the fault detection data provided by the master counter circuitry.