Patents Represented by Attorney Jeanett S. Harms
  • Patent number: 6067508
    Abstract: A method is described for measuring localized operating temperatures and voltages on an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes an oscillator circuit with a frequency that varies with temperature and/or applied voltage. The frequency of the oscillator is then determined, using a constant voltage, for a number of temperatures to establish a known relationship between oscillation frequency and temperature. Once the relationship is known, a similar oscillator is included within or adjacent a second circuit of the integrated circuit. The operating temperature or operating voltage of the second circuit may then be determined by monitoring the frequency of the oscillator while the second circuit is operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2000
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert O. Conn, Jr.