Patent ID: 8614571

Claim:
An apparatus for assessing IR voltage drop conditions, comprising: an integrated circuit having at least one conductor defining a test point voltage subject to one of an IR voltage difference due to current flowing through a conductor between the test point and one of two supply voltages, the conductor comprising an electrical resistance; a reference voltage source providing a threshold reference voltage at least at a predetermined point in time; at least one comparator having inputs coupled respectively to the test point and to the threshold voltage reference, the comparator having an output that changes state when the test point voltage crosses the threshold voltage reference; at least one latch circuit coupled to the output of the comparator, the latch circuit being operated in coordination with the comparator to load the state of the output of the comparator; a reset generator coupled to reset the latch at a predetermined point in one of a sequence and a timed cycle; a time delay generator having at least two time periods, the time delay generator being coupled to reset the latch after a selected one of said time periods, for distinguishing between transits of the test point voltage beyond the threshold reference voltage that are longer and shorter than the selected one of said time periods; and an output coupled to the latch circuit, for at least one of recording, signaling and indicating a state of the latch indicating said crossing of the test point voltage and the threshold voltage reference.