A built-in current monitor for testing analog circuit blocks

A novel built-in current (BIC) monitor circuit is proposed for supply current (I/sub DD/) measurement and testing of embedded analog circuits. The BIC monitor provides high current measurement sensitivity without introducing a large impedance in the I/sub DD/ path. It also includes a current integrator circuit which generates a digital signature proportional to the average I/sub DD/ (I~/sub D/~/sub D/~). The integrator uses only small capacitors (totaling 74 pF), 4 comparators, 14 switches and a counter to perform integration over a long time (1 ms) window and to digitize I~ /sub D/~/sub D/~. The monitor occupies a small area and is suitable for BIST applications on mixed-signal ICs.

[1]  A.S. Sedra,et al.  Analog MOS integrated circuits for signal processing , 1987, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[2]  André Ivanov,et al.  A current integrator for BIST of mixed-signal ICs , 1999, Proceedings 17th IEEE VLSI Test Symposium (Cat. No.PR00146).

[3]  C. Martinez,et al.  Compact BIC sensor for I/sub ddq/ testing of CMOS circuits , 1993 .

[4]  Sassan Tabatabaei,et al.  Power supply current monitoring techniques for testing PLLs , 1997, Proceedings Sixth Asian Test Symposium (ATS'97).

[5]  Charles F. Hawkins,et al.  IDDQ testing: A review , 1992, J. Electron. Test..

[6]  Karim Arabi,et al.  Design and realization of an accurate built-in current sensor for on-line power dissipation measurement and I/sub DDQ/ testing , 1997, Proceedings International Test Conference 1997.

[7]  Jaime Ramírez-Angulo.  Low voltage current mirrors for built-in current sensors , 1994, Proceedings of IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems - ISCAS '94.

[8]  Andre Ivanov,et al.  A built-in current sensor for testing analog circuit blocks , 1999, IMTC/99. Proceedings of the 16th IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (Cat. No.99CH36309).

[9]  Y. Deval,et al.  On chip I/sub DDX/ sensor , 1996, Digest of Papers 1996 IEEE International Workshop on IDDQ Testing.

[10]  Jien-Chung Lo,et al.  A 2-ns detecting time, 2- mu m CMOS built-in current sensing circuit , 1993 .

[11]  B. R. Bannister,et al.  Testing mixed signal ASICs through the use of supply current monitoring , 1993, Proceedings ETC 93 Third European Test Conference.