The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 15, 2005
Filed:
Jul. 07, 2004
Michael D. Bienek, Austin, TX (US);
Michael D. Bienek, Austin, TX (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for conducting built-in self-timing tests. In one embodiment, a method for conducting timing tests includes selecting one or more I/O pairs (each I/O pair including a driver and a receiver) into a loop of a ring oscillator, the ring oscillator including an odd number of inverters. The ring oscillator is coupled to a measurement circuit configured to measure delay time in the loop. After initiating operation of the ring oscillator, the delay time through the loop can be measured. Selection circuits may be used to selectively enable or bypass individual I/O pairs in the loop of the ring oscillator. This selective bypassing may allow timing measurements for individual I/O pairs.