Abstract:
In some embodiments, a chip includes clock generation circuitry to create a clock signal, and reference signal oscillator circuitry to produce a reference signal with a higher frequency than the clock signal. The chip includes a counter to change a count value in response to changes in the reference signal; and count logic circuitry to cause count storage circuitry to read the count value in response to at least some changes in the clock signal and to make at least some of the values in the count storage circuitry related to a duty cycle of the clock signal available to an external tester. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    Embodiments of the inventions relate generally to measuring the duty cycle of a clock signal. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Some integrated circuit chips have clock signal generation circuits on the chip (sometimes called a die.) The clock signal may be used for various purposes on the chip. As an example, the clock signal generation circuit may be a self-oscillating clock circuit and the clock signal may be referred to as a real time clock (RTC) signal. See, for example, Intel® ICH Family Real Time Clock (RTC) Accuracy and Considerations under Test Conditions, Application Note—AP-728, May 2006. In some chips, this clock generation circuit has had a history of problems. It can be very sensitive to silicon processing parameters as well as package and board variations. 
         [0003]    Different approaches have been used to provide a test related to whether the clock generation circuit for a particular chip will work properly or fail. One approach is to use external testing equipment to measure the duty cycle of the RTC signal and use the duty cycle as an indicator as to whether the chip will fail. However, this approach has the following disadvantages. First, expensive external equipment is needed. In some cases, this equipment may be used anyway for other purposes, but not in all cases. Second, the RTC signal may get distorted within the chip and may lead to a different result by the time it gets to the external tester than it would within the chip. Third, changing designs may miss routing this signal outside the chip. Fourth, adjustments to the test interface unit (TIU) board adjustments may need to be done. 
         [0004]    Another approach is to measure other characteristics than duty cycle. For example, in a currently used test suite, there is some observability of functionality of the RTC clock signal generation circuit but relatively little functionality to assess its performance and particularly its marginality. The test suite focuses on characteristics other than duty cycle, such as leakage. However, leakage might not be a good indicator as to whether the clock signal generation circuit will fail. Other characteristics may be too conservative and not a good test of whether the clock signal generation circuit will fail. 
         [0005]    Yet another approach is to provide an on-die oscilloscope. This has the following disadvantages. First, the on-die oscilloscopes can take a relatively large amount of chip area. Second, although the accuracy of a good oscilloscope may be a benefit, the output still needs to be digitized for decision making. 
         [0006]    Finally, phase locked loop (PLL) characterization circuits have been used. Again, although these characterizations may be useful for some purposes, they do not give the same information as the duty cycle measurements. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The inventions may be understood by referring to the following description and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrate some embodiments of the inventions. However, the inventions are not limited to the details of these drawings. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram representation of a chip including a clock generation circuit, functional circuitry, and duty cycle measuring circuitry according to some embodiments of the inventions. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a graphical representation of a reference clock and two representations of a clock whose duty cycle is being measured according to some embodiments of the inventions. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3-5  are each a block diagram representation of details of the duty cycle measuring circuitry of  FIG. 1  according to some embodiments of the inventions. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram representation of a system in which the chip of  FIG. 1  may be tested. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    In some embodiments, the inventions involve circuits and methods for measuring a duty cycle of a clock signal. The inventors have noticed that the duty cycle of the RTC clock is a good predictor of the health of the RTC clock generation circuit. The duty cycle of the RTC clock will be different with process variations. Toward process extremes (corners), the duty cycle can become more and more unbalanced and eventually stop toggling as a clock completely. In some embodiments, duty cycle measuring circuitry inside the chip measures the duty cycle and a testing system assigns the chip to different categories based, at least in part, on the measured duty cycle. In some embodiments, the categories are merely acceptable or unacceptable. In other embodiments, there are more grades such as acceptable, marginal, and unacceptable. In some embodiments, this involves a built-in-self-test, and the external tester does not need specific capability for the evaluation, in other implementations, an external tester has some specific capabilities directed to evaluating a chip based on duty cycle measurements. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a chip  10  includes clock generation circuitry  12  that produces a clock signal that may be used for various purposes such as being used by functional circuitry  14 . Duty cycle measuring circuitry  18  measures the duty cycle of the clock signal that is generated by clock generation circuitry  12 . As an example, the clock signal may be a Real Time Clock (RTC), but the invention is not limited to measure the duty cycle of an RTC signal. Indeed, clock generation circuitry  12  may generate other types of clock signals that are not RTC signals. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a reference signal, which in this example is referred to as a MLink Osc (manageability link oscillator) signal, but the inventions are not limited to this particular reference signal. Indeed, the invention can be implemented with a reference signal, that is not an MLink Osc signal. Two different clock signals (RTC  1  and RTC  2 ) are illustrated. RTC  1  has a duty cycle of 50% (18:18=50:50), with 18 reference clock cycles occurring during low portions of the clock signal (e.g., between times t 1  and t 3 , and between times t 4  and t 6 ), and 18 reference clocks cycles occurring during high portions of the clock signal (e.g., between times t 3  and t 4 ). Accordingly, both the low count and the high count are 18. By contrast, RTC  2  has a duty cycle of 33% (12:24=33:67), with 12 reference clock cycles occurring during low portions of the clock signal (e.g., between times t 1  and t 2 , and between times t 4  and t 5 ), and 24 reference clock cycles occurring during a high portion of the clock signal (e.g., between times t 2  and t 4 ). Accordingly, the low count is 12 and the high count is 24. For many purposes, a 50% duty cycle is considered a good duty cycle and a 33% duty cycle is considered a poor duty cycle, but that is not necessarily the case. Other clock signals could have different duty cycles. There may be a feedback path between reference signal oscillator  32  and oscillator clocks and state machine  30 . (See, for example,  FIG. 5 .) 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates details of some embodiments of duty cycle measuring circuitry  18 , but the invention is not limited to the details shown in  FIG. 3 . The clock signal from clock generation circuitry  12  is received by oscillator clocks and state machine  30 , which may include a digital delay locked loop that locks to the clock signal. Oscillator clocks and state machine  30  provides a control signal to a reference signal oscillator  32  to control the generation of the reference signal. An example of the reference signal generated by reference signal oscillator  32  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The control signal may be viewed as a frequency control signal or a delay control signal. For example, the control signal may increase or decrease of delay of the reference signal produced by oscillator  32 . The reference signal and the clock signal may be single ended or differential. 
         [0016]    The reference signal is received at the clock input of counter  36 . Counter  36  starts counting in response to an asserted count enable (CntEn) signal and stops counting in response to a reset signal (RST) (which may be one combined signal) from oscillator clocks and state machine  30 . Counter then restarts with another asserted count enable signal. Count storage circuit  38  stores the count value of counter  36  at various times in different registers. Count storage circuit  38  includes a register(s) from which a tester ( FIG. 6 ) can read through conductors  22 . Count logic  42  receives the clock signal and controls count storage circuit  38 . There are various way in which the oscillator clocks and state machine  30 , counter  36 , count storage circuit  38 , and count logic  42  may operate. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, in response to a low to high transition of the clock signal (e.g., time t 3  of  FIG. 2 ), oscillator clocks and state machine  30  asserts the reset and count enable signals so that counter  36  is reset and starts counting. In addition, in response to a low to high transition of the clock signal (e.g., time t 3  of  FIG. 2 ), count logic  42  causes count storage circuitry  38  to read the count of counter  36  just before it is reset. Oscillator clocks and state machine  30  does not assert the reset and count enable signals again until another low to high transition of the clock signal (e.g., at time t 6  of  FIG. 2 ). However, count logic  42  causes count storage circuit  38  to read the count value of counter  36  in response to a high to low transition of the clock signal (e.g., at time t 4  of  FIG. 2 ). Accordingly, count storage circuit  38  holds a number of counts for the entire period (total count) of the clock (low to high to the next low to high) and a number of counts while the clock signal is high (high count). Count logic circuitry  42  can manipulate count values to compute a duty cycle ratio from the ratio of high count to total count. At least some of the contents of count storage circuit  38  is made available to an external tester (e.g., shown in  FIG. 6 ) through conductors  22 . 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the number of counts while the clock is low (low count) may be used. It can be obtained from subtracting the high count from the total count. In some embodiments, the operation is the same as mentioned above, but the reset and count enable signals are asserted in response to high to low transitions. In some embodiments, the low count and not the high count is computed. The ratio of one or more of the following can be computed and stored in count storage circuitry  38 : the ratio of high count to low count, low count to high count, low count to total count, and/or high count to total count, and/or their inverses. 
         [0019]    In other embodiments, the circuitry operates similarly, but the reset and count enable signals are asserted in response to both low to high (e.g., at time t 3 ) and high to low (e.g., at time t 4 ) transitions of the clock signal. Count logic  42  causes the count storage circuit to read the count value just prior to each transition thus obtaining the low count and the high count. The total count (if used) can be obtained by adding the low and high counts. In some embodiments, the total count is not used. One or more of the ratios mentioned above can be computed and stored in count storage circuitry  38 . 
         [0020]    In still other embodiments, counter  38  is not reset, but count logic  42  computes differences to obtain low, high, and/or total counts in response to low to high and high to low transitions. In some embodiments, there is more than one counter like counter  36 . For example, in  FIG. 5 , counter(s)  62  may include more than one counter. One counter may count the total count and another may count the high count and the low count. Alternatively, one may count the low count and the other the high count. A third counter may count the total count. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  shows an alternative arrangement for duty cycle measuring circuitry  18 . In  FIG. 4 , one or more count values and/or ratios is compared by comparator(s)  52  with one or more target count values, target ratios, and/or ranges from target storage circuit  56 . For example, assume that a 30% to 70% duty cycle is acceptable. If the clock signal of a particular chip has a 45% duty cycle, that is an acceptable duty cycle, then the comparison would indicate an acceptable chip. If the clock signal of a particular chip has a 20% or an 85% duty cycle, that is an unacceptable duty cycle, and the comparison would indicate an unacceptable chip. In some embodiment, there are comparisons of measured duty cycle ratio to high and low target ratios. In other embodiments, there are comparisons of low count to low target count (target phase) and high count to high target count. Target storage circuit  56  may hold high and low ratios and/or high and low absolute count values. In some embodiments, the result of the comparison(s) is read immediately by an external tester and in other embodiments, it is stored in a register (e.g., in count storage circuit  38 ) for later reading by the external tester. Count logic  50  may be like count logic  42  or somewhat different. Ratios can be computed by count logic  42 ,  50 , or  60  (in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 ) or by an external tester. 
         [0022]    There are various ways in which the target values can be stored in target storage circuit  56 . For example, they may be hardwired into storage circuit  56 , or they may be provided externally through conductors  24 . There may be intermediate circuitry between duty cycle measuring circuitry  18  and conductors  22  and  24  on the outside of chip  10 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows yet another alternative design for duty cycle measuring circuitry  18 . As noted, counter(s)  62  include one or more counters like counter  36 . The examples of  FIGS. 3 and 4  may also include more than one counter. An advantage of having more than one counter is that as one counter is resetting, the other can be ready to count. In some embodiments, two clocks are used to separately count high and low portions of the clock signal. In such a case, an MLink bypass clock can be provided by a tester. This may be done to avoid the more complex clock and signal crossing from the MLink oscillator logic to the register and comparator. 
         [0024]    In  FIG. 5 , a comparator  62  compares the count of counter  36  to a target amount from reference signal (e.g., MLink) target count circuitry  68 . The result of the comparison is provided to oscillator clocks and state machine  30  for various purposes, one of which may be to provide some feedback regarding the reference signal, although this is not the case of some embodiments. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  gives an example of chip  10  in a test system, but some or all of the details are not used in other systems. In  FIG. 6 , chip  10  includes chip interface circuitry  102  to interface between conductors  22  and  24  and duty cycle measuring circuitry  18 . Chip  10  is on a circuit board of a test interface unit (TIU)  104 . Conductors  22 ,  24  include a capacitor  106  of capacitance C and a resistor  110  of resistance R to emulate the resonance condition of clock generation circuitry  12 . In some embodiments, a piezoelectric crystal  112  is used in place of or in combination with capacitor  106  and resistor  110 . Capacitor  106  and resistor  110  are shown in parallel with crystal  112 , but in practice, the RC or crystal may be used so they are not in parallel. The method can be used to determine system margins by understanding the impact of different crystals on the board that are connected to good, working parts. 
         [0026]    A chip evaluation device (tester)  116  reads the ratio data and/or comparison result data and decides whether to accept or reject chip  10 . Tester  116  instructs a robot  118  to place the chip in an accept bin  122  or a reject bit  124 . In some embodiments, there are more categories than merely accept or reject. In some embodiments, tester  116  is a configurable modular tester (CMT) such as is sold by Advantest Corporation, but various other testers including custom testers may be used. 
         [0027]    In some embodiments, the operation performed by  FIG. 3 ,  4 , or  5  is be repeated multiple times to insure consistent results. 
         [0028]    The following describes procedures that can be used in some embodiments, but is not required in other embodiments. The number of periods of a higher frequency clock in the measured clock period is compared to the number of periods of the higher frequency clock in either the high or low phase of the measured clock. The ratio of the two is compared to high and low limits for pass/fail. If the number of higher frequency clocks per measured clock is known, then only the number of clocks in high or low phase needs to be compared against the limits. The number of periods of a higher frequency clock in the low phase of the measured clock and the number of periods of the higher frequency clock in the high phase of the measured clock are captured. If the expected number of clocks per period is roughly known, then the difference of the smaller from the larger phase can be compared to a test limit, otherwise the ratio of the two is compared to high and low limits for pass/fail. 
         [0029]    Some of these methods may be based on measuring time through frequency ratios. Time measurement schemes using delay lines or similar time-ratio methods may be analogously applied in some embodiments. 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, a state machine may keep the count of the number of rising edges of the reference clock (e.g., MLink oscillator  32 ) in one period of the clock signal (e.g. RTC) and adjusts the MLink Oscillator to meet a known count. This may meet the first requirement for the method above (i.e., The number of periods of a higher frequency clock in the measured clock period is compared to the number of periods of the higher frequency clock in either the high or low phase of the measured clock.) 
         [0031]    During a pre-production development stage, the duty cycle of the RTC clock may be measured and understood across different process, voltage and temperature corners. This characterization data may be analyzed and used to set test limits for the RTC duty cycle in a separate test register. A design for test mode may be implemented to compare the actual duty cycle to the expected duty cycle set based on silicon characterization data across process, voltage, temperature (PVT). Tests developed to compare the actual duty cycle of the RTC clock versus the expected duty cycle on every single die may be implemented in sort and class high volume manufacturing (HVM) testing in production to screen for good and bad units. This can be used to correlate to fabrication manufacturing process parameters. 
         [0032]    Technology existing prior to the inventions of this disclosure included an oscillator clocks and state machine, MLink oscillator, counter, comparator, and MLink target count circuitry similar to oscillator clocks and state machine  30 , Ref signal oscillator  32 , counter  36  or  62 , comparator  64 , and reference signal target count circuitry  68 . Accordingly, some embodiments of  FIG. 3  involve adding the additional circuitry of  FIG. 3  to these already existing components. 
         [0033]    Chip  10  may be used for a wide variety of purposes such as being a microprocessor, communication chip, chipset, memory, to name only a few. 
         [0034]    The inventions are not restricted to any particular type of signaling. The input and clock signals can be single ended or differential. The clock signals and other signals may include “eyes.” The clocking can be single data rate, double data rate, quad data rate, etc. In double data rate, a rising falling edge of a single clock signal may be used, or two out of phase clocks may be used. The signals may be packetized or non-packetized. 
         [0035]    This disclosures includes various figures that are schematic in nature and do not include various details. In actual embodiments, the systems and chips would include additional components that are not illustrated including between circuitry illustrated in the figures. The illustrated components may have various additional inputs and outputs. Various algorithms and methods described herein may be performed in hardware circuitry without or without the assistance of firmware or software. However, firmware and/or software may be used in overall systems in which the algorithms and methods are performed. 
         [0036]    As used herein, the term “embodiment” refers to an implementation of one or more of the inventions. Reference in the specification to “an embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” or “other embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the inventions. Different references to “some embodiments” do not necessarily refer to the same “some embodiments.” 
         [0037]    If the specification states a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included. If the specification or claim refers to “a” structure, that does not mean there is only one of the structure. 
         [0038]    While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, the invention should not limited to only those embodiments described, but can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.