Patent ID: 9651620
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: G01R,H03K

Claim:
1. Measurement circuitry for generating an oscillating output signal used to derive timing information, the measurement circuitry comprising: a ring oscillator comprising a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell comprising at least a storage element whose output signal is used to determine a clock input signal for an adjacent unit cell of said plurality of unit cells within the ring oscillator; control circuitry capable of performing a control operation to control one of a set function and a reset function of the storage element in each of said plurality of unit cells in dependence on set and reset signals input to the control circuitry; and oscillation initiation circuitry capable of changing a state of the clock input signal received by the storage element of a first one of said plurality of unit cells upon receipt of an asserted oscillation enable signal, in order to initiate generation of the oscillating output signal; the control circuitry being capable of performing the control operation after the generation of the oscillating output signal is initiated in order to control a value of the output signal of the storage element in each unit cell so as to cause the oscillating output signal to be maintained.