Multiple clock and clock cycle selection for x-tolerant logic built in self test (XLBIST)
Granted: October 15, 2024
Patent Number:
12117488
A system and method are provided for testing logic using a logic built in self-test (LBIST) system, and in particular where the LBIST system tolerates unknown inputs (Xs) to the logic cells forming an XLBIST system. The system allows for providing multiple test system clocks from the LBIST system to the logic during a system clock capture cycle of a system clock during testing of the logic, wherein the system clock is separate from the multiple test system clocks of the LBIST system.…
Scan chain compression for testing memory of a system on a chip
Granted: October 8, 2024
Patent Number:
12112818
A method of using on-chip circuitry to test a memory of a chip is provided. The method including, in a capture stage, receiving, at a first n-bit compression structure including n first stage latches corresponding to each bit of the first n-bit compression structure, a value at each respective first stage latch for each of n memory addresses of the memory, such that each respective first stage latch receives a respective value from a memory address of the memory, n being an integer…
Framework for application driven exploration and optimization of hardware engines
Granted: October 8, 2024
Patent Number:
12112202
A system and method for evaluating optimization of a hardware engine are described herein. In an example embodiment, a first operation of a desired application is performed using one or more hardware resources each associated with one or more task graphs of a plurality of task graphs. A first result is recorded from a first simulation based on a first task graph of the plurality of task graphs implemented using a first configuration of a first hardware resource associated with the first…
Method to compute timing yield and yield bottleneck using correlated sample generation and efficient statistical simulation
Granted: October 8, 2024
Patent Number:
12112108
Various embodiments of a method and apparatus for determining parametric timing yield and bottlenecks are disclosed which take into account correlation between electrical circuit paths through common timing arcs of an integrated circuit chip under design. Monte Carlo samples of timing arc delays are generated and used in computing timing yield and identify yield bottlenecks.
Memory efficient and scalable approach to stimulus (waveform) reading
Granted: October 1, 2024
Patent Number:
12106157
Embodiments relate to reading signals from a stimulus file produced by an emulator into a data store. A method includes executing, by a set of one or more worker processes, reading tasks. Each reading task is executable independent of other reading tasks. Each reading task includes reading a time slice of a signal from a stimulus file produced by a hardware emulator, and pushing a partial waveform corresponding to the time slice to a data store. The partial waveform includes a head and a…
Using multiple error correction code decoders to store extra data in a memory system
Granted: September 17, 2024
Patent Number:
12095474
Disclosed is a configuration to store metadata using an error correction code (ECC). The configuration receives at an ECC encoder of a memory controller, write data and an N-bit metadata, N comprising an integer greater than 0. The configuration generates a meta symbol using the N-bit metadata and creates an enhanced write data, the enhanced write data comprising the write data and the meta symbol generated by the N-bit metadata. The configuration encodes the enhanced write data and meta…
Diagnosing faults in memory periphery circuitry
Granted: September 17, 2024
Patent Number:
12094548
Methods for diagnosing faults in memory periphery circuitry, computer readable media, and a test device for the same are provided. In one example, method is provided that includes receiving, at a test device, a first test syndrome from a memory device, the first test syndrome corresponds to a first test process executed by the memory device, wherein the memory device comprises a memory array and peripheral circuitry, and wherein the first test process is associated with a first circuit…
Power supply tracking circuitry for embedded memories
Granted: September 17, 2024
Patent Number:
12094513
Tracking circuitry for a memory device is disclosed. The tracking circuitry includes an inverter, a level shifter, delay circuitry, and a logic gate. The inverter is configured to receive a first clock signal and generate an inverted clock signal. The level shifter is configured to receive the first clock signal and the inverted clock signal and generate a level shifted clock signal. The delay circuitry is configured to receive the level shifted clock signal and generate an inverted…
Multi-cycle power analysis of integrated circuit designs
Granted: September 17, 2024
Patent Number:
12093620
A method includes: receiving value changes corresponding to timestamped logic value changes in recorded signals from a verification run of an integrated circuit (IC) design; generating recorded logic vectors from the value changes, each of the recorded logic vectors being associated with a corresponding signal identifier, each of the recorded logic vectors including a recorded logic values over a window of consecutive clock cycles computed from one or more value changes associated with…
Adaptive row patterns for custom-tiled placement fabrics for mixed height cell libraries
Granted: September 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12086523
A method includes instantiating a first plurality of rows in a first region of a fabric. The first region has a height corresponding to a sum of heights of the first plurality of rows. The method also includes instantiating a second plurality of rows in a second region of the fabric. The second region is horizontally adjacent to the first region in the fabric. The second region has a height corresponding to a sum of heights of the second plurality of rows. The method further includes…
High-voltage IO drivers
Granted: September 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12085970
A voltage driver for supplying a supply voltage includes multiple PMOS transistors, multiple NMOS transistors, a pad, impedance divider circuits, NMOS clampers, and PMOS clampers. A maximum of the supply voltage is N times a maximum of the drain-source voltage of each transistor. The pad is configured to receive a voltage signal for dynamically controlling gates of a subset of the NMOS transistors and a subset of the PMOS transistors. The impedance divider circuits are configured to…
One time programmable bitcell with select device in isolated well
Granted: September 3, 2024
Patent Number:
12082403
A semiconductor memory includes, in part, M×N select transistors disposed along M rows and N columns, where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2. The memory further includes, in part, a first set of M wells each configured to be biased independently of the remaining M?1 wells. Each well has formed therein N of the select transistors each having a source/drain terminal coupled to the same bitline corresponding to a different one of M bitlines of the memory. The memory further…
Self-limiting manufacturing techniques to prevent electrical shorts in a complementary field effect transistor (CFET)
Granted: September 3, 2024
Patent Number:
12080608
A method of forming a complementary field effect transistor (CFET) is provided. The method includes adding a blocking material to a vertical channel of the CFET having an epitaxial growth, the blocking material being located below and in contact with a lower portion of the growth, adding an insulating material to an open area within the vertical channel to surround a portion of the epitaxial growth, performing an etch to (i) remove a portion of the insulating material, (ii) expose a…
On-the-fly multi-bit flip flop generation
Granted: September 3, 2024
Patent Number:
12079558
On-the-fly multi-bit flip-flop (MBFF) generation is provided by selecting at least two flip-flop blocks from a plurality of candidate flip-flop blocks; identifying a control block from a plurality of candidate control blocks, the control block being identified based on operational specifications of the selected flip-flop blocks; and generating a multi-bit flip-flop instance based on the selected flip-flop blocks and the identified control block.
Fail-safe protection architecture for high voltage tolerant input/output circuit
Granted: August 27, 2024
Patent Number:
12074597
A circuit provides fail safe protection of an input/output (I/O) circuit of a chip. The I/O circuit comprises an I/O pad connected to one or more other chips via an I/O bus. The circuit comprise a supply and failsafe detector component. The supply and failsafe detector component generates an I/O supply output signal. The I/O supply output signal has a low voltage value when the I/O supply voltage of the chip is below a medium voltage level and the I/O supply output signal having a high…
High-voltage tolerant multiplexer
Granted: August 27, 2024
Patent Number:
12074593
A differential multiplexer includes a number of input stages. Each stage includes, in part, first and second transistor receiving an input signal and the inverse of the input signal, a biasing circuit supplying a bias to the gate terminal of the first and second transistors, a current source coupled between a source terminal of the first and second transistors and a ground terminal, a first switch coupling a drain terminal of the first transistor to a first terminal of a first resistor…
Memory clock level-shifting buffer with extended range
Granted: August 27, 2024
Patent Number:
12073876
A level shifter circuit includes a level shifter configured to receive a first clock signal associated with a first power level and generate a second clock signal associated with a second power level, wherein the second power level is greater than the first power level. The level shifter circuit further includes an input clock buffer having a first input, wherein the first input comprises the second clock signal from the level shifter, and a second input coupled in parallel to the first…
Propagating physical design information through logical design hierarchy of an electronic circuit
Granted: August 27, 2024
Patent Number:
12073156
A system determines physical design information along a logic hierarchy of a circuit design. The system accesses physical design metrics associated with different parts of a physical design of a circuit. The system accesses a logic design of the circuit comprising a hierarchy of logic blocks. The system determines the physical design metrics associated with one or more logic blocks of the hierarchy of the logic design based on a relation between the physical design and the logic design.…
Hardware-based obfuscation of digital data
Granted: August 20, 2024
Patent Number:
12067091
Some aspects of this disclosure are directed to implementing hardware-based obfuscation of digital data. For example, some aspects of this disclosure relate to a method, including performing a capture operation that loads a plurality of primary input (PI) bits into corresponding shift registers of a plurality of test data registers (TDRs) disposed on one or more digital semiconductor devices and configured to store a plurality of secret information bits. The method further includes…
Complementary single-ended to differential converter with weighed interpolation
Granted: August 6, 2024
Patent Number:
12057840
A single-ended to a differential signal converter (converter) includes, in part, first, second, and third inverting elements, each having a first size, and coupled in series to form a chain of inverting elements. The converter further includes a fourth inverting element of a second size and coupled to the input of the first inverting element, a fifth inverting element of a third size and coupled to an output terminal of the first inverting element, a sixth inverting element of the third…
