Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6737895
-
Patent Number
6,737,895
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, July 16, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 18, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 327 176
- 327 192
- 327 143
- 327 291
- 327 294
- 327 298
- 327 198
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A method for driving a plurality of circuit units to be controlled includes applying a control signal to a control signal connection unit and an activation signal to an activation connection unit. A hold signal is the generated on the in response to the activation signal. This hold signal is combined with the control signal to obtain a modified control signal, which is then made available at an output.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of the Jul. 31, 2001 priority date of German application 101 37 373.2.
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to activation of circuit units to be controlled, and relates in particular to a method for driving circuit units to be controlled, in which a modified control signal is provided by means of a control signal generating device after activation via an activation unit.
BACKGROUND
In an integrated circuit (IC), a multiplicity of initialization procedures are provided after application of an external voltage. By way of example, all the internal voltages are typically generated in a generator unit and stabilized for further use in integrated circuit units to be controlled.
For operation, circuit units to be controlled, such as, for example, DRAM modules (DRAM=Dynamic Random Access Memory), require a control signal which permanently has a hold state, for example a logic one (“active high”). Only after a signal defined by the hold state is present at a control input of the circuit unit to be controlled does the circuit unit process externally provided commands. A corresponding control signal having a hold state is provided for example when all the voltage generators or generator units of an integrated circuit have signaled their functionality.
In the conventional method—illustrated in FIG.
4
—for driving circuit units to be controlled a control signal
110
is fed via a connection unit
401
in parallel to a series of circuit units
202
a
-
202
n
to be controlled.
In a disadvantageous manner, all the circuit units to be controlled are blocked if even just a single voltage generator of a generator unit has a malfunction, i.e. if the control signal
110
cannot be provided.
Thus, in an inexpedient manner, operation of the entire module or of the integrated circuit cannot be commenced. It is a further disadvantage that circuit units cannot be characterized in the event of a malfunction of a single voltage generator, even if they do not depend on the faulty voltage generator or the faulty circuit section in a generator unit.
Accordingly, it is extremely unfavorable that additional, cost-intensive production and characterization procedures are required for testing such modules provided with a fault in a single or a plurality of voltage generators of a generator unit.
SUMMARY
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method and a circuit arrangement in which, even in the case of one or more defective voltage generators of a generator unit, integrated switching units or modules can be tested and/or operated, at least one control signal being externally predeterminable or switchable.
An essential concept of the invention consists in combining a conventional control signal in a gate unit with a hold signal that can be set externally, in order to obtain a modified control signal in this way.
One advantage of the present invention is that circuit units which are not affected by a malfunction of a voltage generator of a generator unit or the like can be tested and/or operated independently of a control signal that has possibly not been supplied by the faulty voltage generator of a generator unit (if a malfunction has occurred in one or more voltage generators of a generator unit).
An additional, cost-intensive production and characterization process is advantageously obviated.
The invention's method for driving circuit units to be controlled essentially has the following steps:
a) application of a control signal to a control signal connection unit, the control signal being provided in a conventional manner by, for example, voltage generators of a generator unit;
b) application of an activation signal, provided by an activation unit, to an activation connection unit, the activation signal being externally predeterminable;
c) generation of a hold signal in a manner dependent on the activation signal, provided by the activation unit, by means of a switching device, the switching device being switchable either by means of a positive edge or a negative edge;
d) combination of the control signal applied to the control signal connection unit with the hold signal, generated by the switching device, by means of a gate unit in such a way that a modified control signal is obtained; and
e) outputting of the modified control signal via an output connection unit, in order to activate circuit units to be controlled even in the event of a malfunction of one of more voltage generators of a generator unit.
The subclaims contain advantageous developments and improvements of the respective subject matter of the invention.
In accordance with one preferred development of the present invention, the control signal applied to the control signal connection unit is provided by a generator unit comprising voltage generators for supplying circuit units of the integrated module with supply voltages. In an advantageous manner, the control signal indicates whether or not a corresponding voltage of a voltage generator of a generator unit is present, whereas for operation of further circuit units to be controlled or for the testing of the circuit units to be controlled, this voltage is not required if the modified control signal is generated according to the invention.
In accordance with a further preferred development of the present invention, the activation signal is applied to the activation connection unit by means of a measuring tip encased in the activation unit, thereby achieving a simple switch-on of the modified control signal into a hold state.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, the switching device assumes a permanent hold state in response to a change in a voltage level at its input, which hold state is advantageously reset only after a turn-off of all the supply voltages for the integrated circuit.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, an OR combination of the control signal fed via the control signal connection unit with the hold signal generated by the switching device is performed in the gate unit in order to obtain the modified control signal in an advantageous manner by means of an OR function.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, the modified control signal provided at the output connection of the gate unit is made available to further circuit units to be controlled, thereby advantageously enabling operation of the further circuit units to be controlled.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, the activation unit applies a positive voltage pulse to the activation connection unit, thereby effecting setting of the switching device into a permanent hold state.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, the activation unit applies a negative voltage pulse to the activation connection unit, thereby effecting resetting of the switching device from the permanent hold state into a basic state.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, a ground potential is provided via the activation unit to the activation connection unit, thereby effecting resetting of the switching device from the permanent hold state into a basic state.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, resetting of the switching device is effected by a switch-off of the entire signal generating device or of the entire integrated circuit.
In accordance with yet another preferred development of the present invention, the permanent hold state of the hold signal constitutes a logic one or “active high”.
The invention's control signal generating device for providing a modified control signal furthermore has:
a) an activation connection unit for the application of an activation signal provided by an activation unit, for example a measuring tip;
b) a control signal connection unit for the application of a control signal which is provided by external circuit units;
c) a switching device for generating a hold signal in a manner dependent on the activation signal provided by the activation unit;
d) a gate unit for combining the control signal applied to the control signal connection unit with the hold signal generated by the switching device, in order to obtain a modified control signal; and
e) an output connection unit for outputting the modified control signal for further processing in circuit units to be controlled.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the description below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
In the drawings:
FIG. 1
shows a circuit arrangement for performing the invention's method for driving circuit units to be controlled in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
shows a block diagram for illustrating how a control signal generating device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention is introduced into a circuit environment with circuit units to be controlled and a generator unit;
FIGS.
3
(
a
)-(
c
) show diagrams demonstrating by way of example mutually assigned profiles of an activation signal (FIG.
3
(
a
)), of a control signal (FIG.
3
(
b
)) and of a modified control signal (FIG.
3
(
c
)); and
FIG. 4
shows a conventional circuit arrangement for distributing a control signal to circuit units to be controlled.
In the figures, identical reference symbols designate identical or functionally identical components or steps.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1
shows a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention as a circuit arrangement for carrying out a method for driving circuit units
202
a
-
202
n
to be controlled, while
FIG. 2
illustrates a block diagram of the circuit arrangement according to the invention.
As illustrated in
FIG. 2
, a generator unit
203
supplies one or more control signals
110
, which are fed to a control signal connection unit
100
of a control signal generating device
201
according to the invention. Further essential components of the control signal generating device are an activation connection unit
101
, which enables a modified control signal to be generated externally, and also an output connection unit
108
, at which the modified control signal
111
is tapped off.
The generation of the modified control signal
111
is explained in detail below with reference to FIG.
1
. The modified control signal
111
is furthermore provided to circuit units
202
a
-
202
b
to be controlled, it advantageously not having to be ensured that the generator unit
203
supplies the specific control signal
110
.
Rather, by means of an activation unit
102
, activation of the control signal generating device
201
can be provided via an activation connection unit
101
, so that a modified control signal
111
can undergo transition to a permanent hold state even without the presence of the control signal
110
. This makes it possible, as already explained, for a modified control signal
111
to be provided for circuit units
202
a
-
202
b
to be controlled even in the case of faulty voltage generators of a generator unit
203
.
The control signal generating device
201
illustrated diagrammatically in the block diagram of
FIG. 2
is shown in greater detail in FIG.
1
. The latter shows the two input units, the control signal connection unit
100
for the inputting of the conventional control signal
110
, and the activation connection unit
101
for the inputting of an externally predeterminable activation signal
107
via an activation unit
102
. The activation unit
102
may be designed for example as a measuring tip which applies a specific voltage potential to the activation connection unit
101
.
The modified control signal
111
is output via the output connection unit
108
. The circuit arrangement according to the invention advantageously makes it possible for the conventional control signal
110
to be looped through the circuit arrangement according to the invention by the control signal
110
applied to the control signal connection unit
100
being fed to a first input of a gate unit
106
, which is designed as a NOR gate in the preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Inversion of the control signal
110
effected by the NOR gate is compensated for by an inverter unit
104
connected downstream, so that it is possible to tap off the original control signal
110
as part of the modified control signal
111
at the output connection unit
108
.
According to the invention, a second signal is now fed to the second input connection of the NOR gate. This signal is designated as a hold signal
109
in
FIG. 1
, which can assume, in principle, two states, a basic state and a hold state, by virtue of a multivibrator arrangement provided from two inverter units. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, a switching device
105
is formed from two inverter devices
104
, the output of one inverter device in each case being connected to the input of the other inverter device. Such circuit arrangements are known by the name “latches”.
If an activation signal
107
in the form of a positive voltage pulse, for example, is fed via the activation unit
102
, then the switching device
105
switches in such a way that the hold signal
109
assumes a low level.
An inverter unit
104
connected downstream results in a signal with a high level being present at the second input of the gate unit
106
. As described previously with reference to the control signal
110
, a high input at the gate unit
106
, which is designed as a NOR gate in this case, results in a signal with a low level being present at the output, which signal is subsequently inverted in a further inverter unit, so that a permanent high level is present as a modified control signal
111
, (permanent hold state), which can be output via the output connection unit
108
.
If a ground potential or a negative voltage level relative to ground is fed as an activation signal
107
to the activation connection unit
101
via the activation unit
102
, then the switching device
105
switches the hold signal
109
from a low state to a high state, whereby the modified control signal
111
undergoes transition to a low state. Resetting of the switching device
105
is thus made possible.
It is thus possible, in an advantageous manner, to provide a modified control signal
111
in a permanent hold state even if no control signal
110
can be output by a generator unit
203
since, for example, one or more voltage generators of the generator unit
203
are faulty. In an advantageous manner, the switching device can be constructed as a bistable multivibrator, switching being effected between a hold state and a basic state.
Furthermore, it is expedient to provide a filter unit
103
between the activation connection unit
101
and an input of the switching device
105
in order to filter the activation signal
107
. In particular, it is necessary here to attenuate high signal frequencies, low-pass filtering advantageously being provided. The filter unit
103
shown in
FIG. 1
comprises a parallel circuit formed by a capacitor C
0
and a resistor R
2
, whereby the filter unit
103
is designed as an RC low-pass filter.
Finally,
FIG. 3
shows voltage profiles in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The illustration shows three voltage profiles over a time between 0.0 and 1 μs, voltage levels between 0 and 2 volts being plotted. Rectangular-waveform voltage profiles are shown as an example, but not as a restriction for the invention. FIG.
3
(
a
) shows the profile of an activation signal
107
which is fed to the activation connection unit
101
.
FIG.
3
(
b
) shows a control signal
110
which is fed to the control signal connection unit
100
.
FIG.
3
(
c
) shows a modified control signal
111
which, during operation of the circuit arrangement according to the invention as shown in
FIG. 1
, results from the two signals applied to the control signal generating device
201
, the activation signal
107
and the control signal
110
.
As already mentioned, the conventional control signal
110
is looped through from the control signal connection unit
100
to the output connection unit
108
, so that the dashed signal profile of the control signal
110
as shown in FIG.
3
(
b
) can be found again in the modified control signal
111
of FIG.
3
(
c
). According to the invention, it is now possible, moreover, to apply an activation signal
107
to the activation connection unit
101
, which is illustrated by the dotted signal profile in FIG.
3
(
a
).
In this case, after a fall in the activation signal
107
, or after disconnection of a measuring tip contained in the activation unit
102
, the modified control signal
111
does not fall to 0, but rather is available as a modified control signal in a permanent hold state. Thus, in an advantageous manner, circuit units
202
a
-
202
b
to be controlled (see
FIG. 2
) can be driven even if voltage generators in a generator unit have faults. The invention thus makes it possible to provide a permanent switch-on of an internal signal via an activation connection unit
101
. An economic advantage is afforded by the fact that additional, cost-intensive production and characterization procedures are not necessary, since an integrated circuit remains testable even in the event of one or more faulty voltage generators of a generator unit.
With regard to the conventional circuit arrangement—illustrated in FIG.
4
—for driving circuit units to be controlled, reference is made to the introduction to the description.
Although the present invention has been described above using preferred exemplary embodiments, it is not restricted thereto, but rather can be modified in diverse ways.
Claims
- 1. A method for driving a plurality of circuit units to be controlled, the method comprising:generating a plurality of supply voltages for the plurality of circuit units; outputting a control signal when each of the supply voltages is set to a predetermined voltage; applying the control signal to a control signal connection unit; applying an activation signal to an activation connection unit; generating a hold signal in response to the activation signal; combining the control signal and the hold signal to obtain a modified control signal, the modified control signal being a NOR function of the control signal and the hold signal; and outputting the modified control signal.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying an activation signal comprises providing an activation unit for supplying the activation signal.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a hold signal comprises providing a switching device for generating a hold signal in response to an activation signal provided by an activation unit.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the control signal and the hold signal comprises providing a gate unit for receiving the control signal and the hold signal.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the modified control signal comprises providing an output connection unit.
- 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a generator unit to generate the control signal.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying an activation signal comprises providing an activation unit having a measuring tip encased therein for providing the activation signal.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a hold signal comprises detecting a change in an input voltage level, and in response to the change, assuming a permanent hold state.
- 9. The method of claim 3, further comprising configuring the switching device to assume a permanent hold state in response to a change in an input voltage level at an input thereof.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein combining the control signal and the hold signal to obtain a modified control signal comprises generating a modified control signal on the basis of a logical value derived from a logical OR of the control signal and the hold signal.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the modified control signal comprises providing the modified control signal to each of the circuit units to be controlled.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a hold signal comprises setting a permanent hold state in response to a voltage pulse having a first selected polarity.
- 13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a hold signal comprises resetting a permanent hold state in response to a voltage pulse having a second selected polarity, the second selected polarity being opposite to a first selected polarity for setting a permanent hold state.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a hold signal comprises resetting a permanent hold state in response to a ground potential.
- 15. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a hold signal comprises resetting a permanent hold state in response to loss of the activation signal.
- 16. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a hold signal comprises providing a selected logical value indicative of a permanent hold state.
- 17. A control signal generating device for providing a modified control signal, the control signal generating device comprising:a generator unit for generating a plurality of supply voltages for a plurality of circuit units to be controlled, the generator unit beams configured to output a control signal when each of the supply voltages is set to a predetermined supply voltage; an activation connection unit for applying an activation signal provided by an activation unit; a switching device for generating a hold signal in response to the activation signal; a gate unit for generating a modified control signal on the basis of the control signal and the hold signal, the sate unit being configured to provide, as the modified control signal, a NOR function of the control signal and the hold signal; and an output connection unit for outputting the modified control signal.
- 18. The control signal generating device of claim 17, wherein the gate unit comprises an OR gate.
- 19. The control signal generating device of claim 17, wherein the gate unit comprises a NOR gate.
- 20. The control signal generating device of claim 17, wherein the switching device comprises a multivibrator.
- 21. The control signal generating device of claim 20, wherein the multivibrator comprises two inverter units coupled back to back.
- 22. The control signal generating device of claim 17, wherein the switching device comprises a bistable multivibrator.
- 23. The control signal generating device of claim 17, further comprising a filter unit for filtering the activation signal, the filter unit being electrically disposed between the activation connection unit and an input of the switching device.
- 24. The control signal generating device of claim 23, wherein the filter comprises an RC low-pass filter.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
101 37 373 |
Jul 2001 |
DE |
|
US Referenced Citations (11)