Patent ID: 7184936
Filing Date: 2007-02-27
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: a variation test signal generator for passing a signal through a portion of a semiconductor chip and generating a variation test signal, wherein the frequency of said variation test signal corresponds to timing impacts encountered in said portion of said semiconductor chip; a variation test signal tracking component for digitally tracking cycles in said variation test signal; a control component for controlling a period of time in which said variation test signal tracking component tracks said cycles in said variation test signal; and a variation determination component for determining a variation between said variation test signal and a known frequency signal, wherein said variation determination component performs a ratio comparison of a variation test signal cycle count from said variation test signal tracking component to a count of cycles in a known system clock frequency signal during said period of time, and wherein said variation determination component provides a digital indication of a timing variation for said portion of said semiconductor chip.