Measurement circuitry and method for measuring a clock node to output node delay of a flip-flop

Abstract

A measurement circuit and method are provided for measuring a clock node to output node delay of a flip-flop. A main ring oscillator has a plurality of main unit cells arranged in a ring, with each main unit cell comprising a flip-flop and pulse generation circuitry connected to the output node of the flip-flop. The flip-flop is responsive to receipt of an input clock pulse at the clock node to output a data value transition from the output node, and the pulse generation circuitry then generates from the data value transition an input clock pulse for a next main unit cell in the main ring, whereby the main ring oscillator generates a first output signal having a first oscillation period. A reference ring oscillator has a plurality of reference unit cells arranged to form a reference ring, and generates a second output signal having a second oscillation period, each reference unit cell comprising components configured such that the second oscillation period provides an indication of a propagation delay through the pulse generation circuitry of the main unit cells of the main ring during the first oscillation period. Calculation circuitry then determines the clock node to output node delay of the flip-flop from the first oscillation period and the second oscillation period. This provides a particularly simple and accurate mechanism for calculating the clock node to output node delay of a flip-flop.