Patent ID: 7196294

Claim:
A monitoring circuit providing in-situ monitoring of the integrity of solder-joint networks in an operational digital electronic package, comprising: a digital electronic package including pins configured to form an array of external solder-joint connections and a die mounted inside the package said die including electrical components configured using internal mechanical connections that are electrically coupled through operational pins to different ones of said external solder-joints to form respective operational solder-joint networks and together constituting the operational digital electronic package, said die also including an internal mechanical connection electrically coupled through a monitor pin to one of said external solder-joints to form a monitored solder-joint network that is held at a low voltage on the die; a resistor R 3 coupled to a high supply voltage and connected in series with the resistance of the monitored solder-network at the monitor pin; and a detector that compares a detection voltage at the monitor pin to a sensitivity voltage and outputs a fault signal for the monitored solder-joint network that is an indicator of the integrity of the operational solder-joint networks.