1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus with self-testing, in particular, to a test mode controller and the electronic apparatus with self-testing thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
The widely used electronic apparatuses in the current market are implemented in a chip by the integration circuit technology. When the manufacturer produces the chips, not only the performance is considered, but also the chip area and the package cost corresponding to the number of pins are considered. Accordingly, most manufacturers are dedicated to reduce the chip area and the number of pins when producing the chips.
Taking a conventional protection circuit for the single cell Li battery for example, the conventional chip requires the additional at least one test pin to reduce the test time. Referring to
The protection chip for the single cell Li battery 11 outputs the controls signals on the control pins of the power MOS transistors OC, OD, to control operations of the power MOS transistors M1 and M2 in the power MOS transistor circuit 12, and hence over-charging, over-discharging, and over-current protection can be achieved. It is noted that, the test pin TD of the protection chip for the single cell Li battery 11 is merely used in the test mode. When the protection chip for the single cell Li battery 11 needs to operate in the test mode, the test pin TD is applied with an external voltage, such that the test time can reduced. However, when the protection chip for the single cell Li battery 11 operates in the normal mode, the test pin TD is floated.
Accordingly, the protection chip for the single cell Li battery 1 may waste the chip area and the package cost due to the additional test pin ID. In the similar manner, the conventional chip may also require the test pin, therefore introducing the similar problems.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides test mode controller, and the test mode controller comprises an enable signal generator, a control signal generator and a latch. The enable signal generator receives a second control signal output from the latch and a power signal, and correspondingly generates a first enable signal and a second enable signal respectively to the latch and the control signal generator. The control signal generator generates a first control signal to the latch. The latch receives the first control signal generated from the control signal generator, and generates the second control signal to the enable signal generator. The control signal generator receives a power indicating voltage and a reference voltage, and generates first control signal according to the power indicating voltage and reference voltage when the first enable signal is enabled. The latch is controlled by the second enable signal, and outputs the second control signal according to the first control signal when the second enable signal is enabled. The second control signal is used to control a chip to operate in a test mode or a normal mode.
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic apparatus with self-testing, and the electronic apparatus with self-testing comprises a chip and the above test mode controller.
Accordingly, the test mode controller and the electronic apparatus with self-testing provided by the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may not reserve the test pin required by the conventional chip, but still may reduce the test time as the conventional chip with the test pin. Therefore, the chip area and the package cost of the electronic apparatus with self-testing provided by the exemplary chip of the present disclosure may be lower than those of the conventional chip with the test pin.
In order to further understand the techniques, means and effects the present disclosure, the following detailed descriptions and appended drawings are hereby referred, such that, through which, the purposes, features and aspects of the present disclosure can be thoroughly and concretely appreciated; however, the appended drawings are merely provided for reference and illustration, without any intention to be used for limiting the present disclosure.
Referring to
The enable signal generator 22 receives the power signal VDD and the second control signal Ds_c generated from the latch 23, and generates the first enable signal En_cmp and the second enable signal En_Latch correspondingly, wherein the first enable signal En_cmp and the second enable signal En_latch are respectively transmitted to the latch 23 and the control signal generator 21. The enable and disable timing of first enable signal En_cmp is illustrated in
The control signal generator 21 receives the power indicating voltage CSI and the reference voltageVref, and generates the first control signal Latch_In according to the power indicating voltage CSI and the reference voltage Vref when the first enable signal En_cmp is enabled (such as the high voltage level of 3.9V). The control signal generator 21 outputs the first control signal with the first level (such as the low voltage level of 0V) when the first enable signal En_cmp is disabled (such as the low voltage level of 0V). To put it concretely, the control signal generator 21 generates the first control signal En_cmp with the second level (such as the high voltage level of 3.9V) when the first enabled signal En_cmp is enabled, the reference voltage Vref is a positive voltage, and the power indicating voltage CSI is externally connected to a negative voltage (such as −1.5V). The first control signal Latch_In generated by control signal generator 21 is then transmitted the latch 23.
The latch 23 receives the first control signal Latch_In generated by the control signal generator 21, and correspondingly generates the second control signal Ds_c to the enable signal generator 22. The latch 23 is controlled by the second enable signal En_latch, and outputs the second control signal Ds_c according to the first control signal Latch_In when the second enable signal En_latch is enabled. The latch 23 is a D latch for example, and the type of the latch 23 is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The second control signal Ds_c is the first level when the second enable signal En_latch is enabled and the first control signal Latch_In is the second level. The second control signal Ds_c maintains the previous level when the second enable signal En_latch is disabled.
The test mode controller 2 uses the second control signal Ds_c to control a chip connected thereto to operate in the test mode or the normal mode, wherein chip can be the chip with self-testing. In the other exemplary embodiment, the chip and the test mode controller 2 may be packaged together, and that is, the chip may comprise the test mode controller 2.
Referring to
During the start-up time T_START_UP, the power indicating voltage CSI is connected to the negative voltage, and thus the control signal generator 21 generates the first control signal Latch_In with the second level. When the start-up time T_START_LTP elapses, the enable signal generator 22 continuously enables the first enable signal En_cmp for the delay time T_DELAY. In other words, the enable signal generator 22 continuously enables the first enable signal En_cmp for THE start-up time T_START_UP and the delay time T_DELAY when the power signal VDD changes to the second level from the first level.
Since the first enable signal En_cmp is enabled for the additional delay time T_DELAY, it guarantees that the latch 23 can obtain the stable first control signal Latch_In when the second enable signal En_Latch is enabled. During the start-up time T_START_UP and the delay time T_DELAY, the control signal generator 21 generates first control signal Latch_In with the second level correspondingly.
During the start-up time T_START_UP, the second enable signal En_Latch is enabled, the first control signal Latch_In is second level, and therefore the latch 23 outputs the second control signal Ds_c with the second level. Then, when the start-up time T_START_UP elapses, and before the test time T_TEST begins, the second enable signal En_Latch maintains disabled, and thus the latch 23 holds the outputted second control signal Ds_c with the second level.
During the start-up time T_START_UP, the counting function of the enable signal generator 22 is disabled. However, when the start-up time T_START_UP elapses, the second enable signal En_Latch is disabled. Meanwhile, the second control signal Ds_c is the second level, and that is, the chip has been warm up, and can begin to operate in the test mode, therefore enabling the counting function of the enable signal generator 22.
When enable signal generator 22 has counted for the test time T_TEST, the enable signal generator 22 briefly enables the second enable signal En_Latch for a pulse time T_PULSE. In other words, the enable signal generator 22 continuously enables the second enable signal En_Latch for the start-up time T_START_UP when the power signal VDD changes to the second level from the first level, and briefly enables the second enable signal En_Latch for a pulse time T_PULSE when the test time T_TEST elapses.
When the delay time T_DELAY elapses, the first enable signal En_cmp is disabled. Thus, the control signal generator 21 outputs the first control signal Latch_In with the first level. When the test time T_TEST elapses, the second enable signal En_Latch is briefly enabled during the pulse time T_PULSE, and meanwhile the first control signal Latch_In is the first level, such that the latch 23 outputs the second control signal Ds_c with the first level. The second control signal Ds_c with the first level controls the chip to operate in the normal mode from test mode.
When the noise factor or the other problems makes the chip operate in the test mode erroneously, the test mode controller 2 can control the chip to operate in the normal when the test time T_TEST elapses. Accordingly, the test mode controller 2 does not need the additional test pin, and can further protect the chip erroneously operate in the test mode for a long time due to the noise factor or the other problems.
It is noted that, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, although the first level is 0V, and the second level is 3.9V, the voltages of the first level and the second level are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the similar manner, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, although the enabled voltage is 3.9V, and the disabled voltage is 0V, levels of the enabled voltage and the disabled voltage are intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring to
The comparator 411 is controlled by the first enable signal En_cmp, and the negative input end and the positive input end of the comparator 411 respectively receives the power indicating voltage CSI and the reference voltage Vref. When the first enable signal En_cmp is enabled, and the reference voltage Vref is larger than the power indicating voltage CSI, the comparator 411 generates the first control signal Latch_In with the second level. When the first enable signal En_cmp is disabled, the comparator 411 outputs the first control signal Latch_In with the first level.
Referring to
The buffer 422 buffers the pre-start signal Start_pre, and outputs the start signal Start, wherein the start signal Start is the first level during the start-up time T_START_UP, and the start signal Start is the second level when the start-up time T_START_UP elapses. The inverter 423 receives the start signal Start, and outputs the inverted start signal Start_b, wherein the inverted start signal Start_b is an inverted signal of the start signal Start.
The delay unit 427 receives the inverted start signal Start_b. When the inverted start signal Start_b does not changes to the first level from the second level, the delay unit 427 outputs the inverted start signal Start_b as the first control signal Latch_In. By contrast, when the inverted start signal Start_b changes to the first level from the second level, the delay unit 427 delays the inverted start signal Start_b for the delay time T_DELAY, and outputs the delayed inverted first enable signal En_cmp as the first control signal Latch_In. In other words, the first enable signal En_cmp is enabled for the start-up time T_START_UP and the delay time T_DELAY. During the start-up time T_START_UP and the delay time T_DELAY, the comparator 411 correspondingly generates the first control signal Latch_In with the second level.
To put it concretely, during the start-up time T_START_UP and the delay time T_DELAY, the power indicating voltage CSI is connected a negative voltage. Meanwhile, since the first enable signal En_cmp is enabled, the control signal generator 21 generates the first control signal Latch_In with the second level.
The OR gate 426 performs the logic OR operation on the timing count output signal TC_out and the inverted start signal Start_b, so as to generate the second enable signal En_latch. Since the inverted start signal Start_b is the second level during the start-up time T_START_UP, the second enable signal En_latch is continuously enabled during the start-up time T_START_UP. Thus, the latch43 outputs the second control signal Ds_c with the second level during the start-up time T_START_UP.
The AND gate 424 performs the logic AND operation on the start signal Start and the second control signal Ds_c, so as to generates the timing control enable signal En_TC. When the start-up time T_START_UP elapses, the start signal Start is the second level, and the second control signal Ds_c is also the second level, such that the AND gate 424 outputs the timing control enable signal En_TC being enabled.
The timing control circuit 425 counts the test time T_TEST when the timing control enable signal En_TC is enabled. When the test time T_TEST elapses, the timing control circuit 425 outputs the timing count output signal TC_out, wherein the timing count output signal TC_out is briefly enabled for the pulse time T_PULSE when the test time T_TEST elapses. Accordingly, when the start-up time T_START_UP elapses, the timing control circuit 425 is enabled. When the test time T_TEST elapses, the timing count output signal TC_out is briefly enabled for the pulse time T_PULSE.
When the delay time T_DELAY elapses, the first enable signal En_cmp is disabled, and therefore the comparator output the first control signal Latch_In with the first level. When the test time T_TEST elapses, the second enable signal En_Latch is briefly enabled for the pulse time T_PULSE, and the first control signal Latch_In is the first level. Meanwhile, the latch 23 outputs the second control signal Ds_c with the first level. The second control signal Ds_c with the first level makes the chip operate in the normal mode from the test mode.
The test mode controller 4 may achieve the similar results as those of the test mode controller 2 in
Referring to
The waveform diagram of
Referring to
In the exemplary embodiments of
In
Referring to
The test mode controller 90 is electrically coupled to the power signal VDD, the power indicating voltage CSI, and the reference voltage Vref. The test mode controller 90 outputs the second control signal Ds_c, wherein the second control signal Ds_c is used to control the chip 91 to operate in the test mode or the normal mode. In addition, the test mode controller 90 may be one of the above test mode controllers 2, 4, 7, and the modification or alteration of the above test mode controllers 2, 4, 7.
In summary, the test mode controller provided by one the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may generate a second control signal to control a chip in the electronic apparatus with self-testing to operate in a test mode or a normal mode. Furthermore, the test mode controller and the electronic apparatus with self-testing may not need the test pin required by the conventional chip, but still may reduce the test time as the conventional chip with the test pin. Therefore, the chip area and the package cost of the electronic apparatus with self-testing provided by the exemplary chip of the present disclosure may be lower than those of the conventional chip with the test pin.
The above-mentioned descriptions represent merely the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, without any intention to limit the scope of the present disclosure thereto. Various equivalent changes, alternations or modifications based on the claims of present disclosure are all consequently viewed as being embraced by the scope of the present disclosure.