Patents by Inventor Mack W. Riley

Mack W. Riley has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10608763
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for packeted analysis, comprising: testing a phase rotator at a plurality of phase rotator positions, by propagating a first series of bits of a first pattern through a channel of an integrated circuit; propagating a second series of bits of a second pattern through the channel; measuring, for the given phase rotator position, a value of each bit propagated through the channel; and in response to determining that measured values of the bits propagated through the channel conform to one of the first pattern and the second pattern, indicating that the given phase rotator position satisfies an accuracy threshold; determining a sequence of phase rotator positions of the plurality of phase rotator positions in which the accuracy threshold is satisfied; and in response to determining that the sequence of phase rotator positions does not satisfy an eye width threshold, failing the channel of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John G. Rell, III, Michael W. Harper, Mack W. Riley, Michael B. Spear
  • Publication number: 20190363813
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for packeted analysis, comprising: testing a phase rotator at a plurality of phase rotator positions, by propagating a first series of bits of a first pattern through a channel of an integrated circuit; propagating a second series of bits of a second pattern through the channel; measuring, for the given phase rotator position, a value of each bit propagated through the channel; and in response to determining that measured values of the bits propagated through the channel conform to one of the first pattern and the second pattern, indicating that the given phase rotator position satisfies an accuracy threshold; determining a sequence of phase rotator positions of the plurality of phase rotator positions in which the accuracy threshold is satisfied; and in response to determining that the sequence of phase rotator positions does not satisfy an eye width threshold, failing the channel of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: John G. RELL, III, Michael W. HARPER, Mack W. RILEY, Michael B. SPEAR
  • Patent number: 9383767
    Abstract: An electronic system is disclosed, which may include a phase pipeline, a data pipeline, an input phase selector, and an output phase selector. The phase pipeline may have latches clocked by a clock signal, and designed to propagate phase signals from a phase input to a phase output. The data pipeline may have latches clocked by the phase pipeline clock signal, and designed to propagate data from a data input to a data output. The input phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from a data input, in response to a value at the phase input, to the data pipeline data input. The output phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from the data pipeline output to an output phase selector data output, in response to a phase pipeline output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathaniel R. Chadwick, Frances S. M. Clougherty, William P. Hovis, Kirk D. Peterson, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 9250645
    Abstract: An electronic system is disclosed, which may include a phase pipeline, a data pipeline, an input phase selector, and an output phase selector. The phase pipeline may have latches clocked by a clock signal, and designed to propagate phase signals from a phase input to a phase output. The data pipeline may have latches clocked by the phase pipeline clock signal, and designed to propagate data from a data input to a data output. The input phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from a data input, in response to a value at the phase input, to the data pipeline data input. The output phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from the data pipeline output to an output phase selector data output, in response to a phase pipeline output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathaniel R. Chadwick, Frances S. M. Clougherty, William P. Hovis, Kirk D. Peterson, Mack W. Riley
  • Publication number: 20150253808
    Abstract: An electronic system is disclosed, which may include a phase pipeline, a data pipeline, an input phase selector, and an output phase selector. The phase pipeline may have latches clocked by a clock signal, and designed to propagate phase signals from a phase input to a phase output. The data pipeline may have latches clocked by the phase pipeline clock signal, and designed to propagate data from a data input to a data output. The input phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from a data input, in response to a value at the phase input, to the data pipeline data input. The output phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from the data pipeline output to an output phase selector data output, in response to a phase pipeline output value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathaniel R. Chadwick, Frances S. M. Clougherty, William P. Hovis, Kirk D. Peterson, Mack W. Riley
  • Publication number: 20150253807
    Abstract: An electronic system is disclosed, which may include a phase pipeline, a data pipeline, an input phase selector, and an output phase selector. The phase pipeline may have latches clocked by a clock signal, and designed to propagate phase signals from a phase input to a phase output. The data pipeline may have latches clocked by the phase pipeline clock signal, and designed to propagate data from a data input to a data output. The input phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from a data input, in response to a value at the phase input, to the data pipeline data input. The output phase selector may be designed to provide an inverted or a non-inverted copy of data from the data pipeline output to an output phase selector data output, in response to a phase pipeline output value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathaniel R. Chadwick, Frances S. M. Clougherty, William P. Hovis, Kirk D. Peterson, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 9128150
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an LBIST controller operative to run a test program on at least one selection of core logic of the integrated circuit to test the operability of the at least one selection of core logic. The integrated circuit also includes a monitoring logic structure operative to detect at least one type of operation executed for the test program from at least one particular control signal activated by the LBIST controller for controlling the at least one selection of core logic to execute the test program from among at least one control signal for controlling operations on the at least one selection of core logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael W. Harper, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 9057766
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for identifying a failing latch within an integrated circuit device. A test sequence is initiated on a set of scan chains associated with an identified failing multiple input signature register. For each test portion in a set of test portions in the test sequence, a comparison is performed between an output of the multiple input signature register and a corresponding value in a set of expected values. Responsive to determining a match, a value of a counter is incremented. Responsive to a failure to match, incrementing of the counter is stopped, and the value of the counter providing an indication of the failing latch in the integrated circuit device is read out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ra'ed M. Al-omari, Michael W. Harper, Cindy Phan, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 8943458
    Abstract: Various embodiments include approaches for determining burn-in workload conditions for an integrated circuit (IC) design. Some embodiments include burn-in testing the IC design using the workload conditions. In some embodiments, a computer implemented method includes obtaining survey data about at least one application workload for an integrated circuit (IC) corresponding to an IC design; generating latch state and clocking statistics about the IC design for the at least one application workload based upon the survey data; and determining a set of burn-in workload conditions for the IC design based upon the latch state and clocking statistics about the IC design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathaniel R. Chadwick, Frances S. M. Clougherty, William P. Hovis, Kirk D. Peterson, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 8943377
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an LBIST controller operative to run a test program on at least one selection of core logic of the integrated circuit to test the operability of the at least one selection of core logic. The integrated circuit also includes a monitoring logic structure operative to detect at least one type of operation executed for the test program from at least one particular control signal activated by the LBIST controller for controlling the at least one selection of core logic to execute the test program from among at least one control signal for controlling operations on the at least one selection of core logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael W. Harper, Mack W. Riley
  • Publication number: 20140149814
    Abstract: A mechanism is provided for identifying a failing latch within an integrated circuit device. A test sequence is initiated on a set of scan chains associated with an identified failing multiple input signature register. For each test portion in a set of test portions in the test sequence, a comparison is performed between an output of the multiple input signature register and a corresponding value in a set of expected values. Responsive to determining a match, a value of a counter is incremented. Responsive to a failure to match, incrementing of the counter is stopped, and the value of the counter providing an indication of the failing latch in the integrated circuit device is read out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ra'ed M. Al-omari, Micheal W. Harper, Cindy Phan, Mack W. Riley
  • Publication number: 20140053035
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an LBIST controller operative to run a test program on at least one selection of core logic of the integrated circuit to test the operability of the at least one selection of core logic. The integrated circuit also includes a monitoring logic structure operative to detect at least one type of operation executed for the test program from at least one particular control signal activated by the LBIST controller for controlling the at least one selection of core logic to execute the test program from among at least one control signal for controlling operations on the at least one selection of core logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael W. Harper, Mack W. Riley
  • Publication number: 20140053034
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an LBIST controller operative to run a test program on at least one selection of core logic of the integrated circuit to test the operability of the at least one selection of core logic. The integrated circuit also includes a monitoring logic structure operative to detect at least one type of operation executed for the test program from at least one particular control signal activated by the LBIST controller for controlling the at least one selection of core logic to execute the test program from among at least one control signal for controlling operations on the at least one selection of core logic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael W. Harper, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 8639855
    Abstract: Provided is a method for the collection and storage of information related to the operation of a chip module. The disclosed technology provides a chip data collection and storage controller. In one embodiment, a chip module is provided with a stand-alone memory that records information relevant to potential debugging operations. The stand-alone memory is on the same chip module as the chip die but is not part of the chip die. A data bus is provided between the chip module and the memory. In addition, the memory has I/O access so that information can be accessed in the event that the chip module cannot be accessed. Stored information includes, but is not limited to, environmental conditions, performance information, errors, time usage, run time, number of power on cycles, the highest temperature experience by the chip, wafer and x, y data, manufacturing info, FIR errors, and PRSO, SRAM PSRO values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael W. Harper, Larry S. Leitner, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 8144689
    Abstract: A mechanism for controlling asynchronous clock domains to perform synchronous operations is provided. With the mechanism, when a synchronous operation is to be performed on a chip, the latches of the functional elements of the chip are controlled by a synchronous clock so that the latches are controlled synchronously even across asynchronous boundaries of the chip. The synchronous operation may then be performed and the chip's functional elements returned to being controlled by a local clock in an asynchronous manner after completion of the synchronous operation. This synchronous operation may be, for example, a power on reset (POR) operation, a manufacturing test sequence, debug operation, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan P. Chelstrom, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 8027798
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for calibrating digital thermal sensors. A processor chip with a plurality of digital thermal sensors receives an analog voltage. A test circuit coupled to the processor chip receives a clock signal and a register coupled to the test circuit outputs a value on each clock cycle to a digital thermal sensor in the plurality of digital thermal sensors. The digital thermal sensor transitions an output state in response to the value of the register received in the digital thermal sensor equaling a temperature threshold of the digital thermal sensor. The value of the register at the point of transition is used to calibrate the digital thermal sensor. An incrementer increments the value of the register on each clock cycle in response to the value of the register received in the digital thermal sensor failing to equal the temperature threshold of the digital thermal sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Charles R. Johns, Mack W. Riley, David W. Shan, Michael F. Wang
  • Patent number: 7908536
    Abstract: Mechanisms for testing functional boundary logic at an asynchronous clock boundary of an integrated circuit device are provided. With these mechanisms, each clock domain has its own scan paths that do not cross domain boundaries. By eliminating the scanning across the boundaries, the requirement to have two clock grids in the asynchronously clocked domains may be eliminated. As a result, circuit area and design time with regard to the clock distribution design are reduced. In addition, removing the second clock grid, i.e. the high speed core or system clock, in the asynchronously clocked domains removes the requirement to have a multiplexing scheme for selection of clocking signals in the asynchronous domain. In addition to the above, the system and method provide boundary built-in-self-test logic for testing the functional crossing logic of boundaries between the clock domains in a functional mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan P. Chelstrom, Steven R. Ferguson, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 7895426
    Abstract: A secure Power-on Reset (POR) engine is provided, inside a processor chip, which guarantees a secure initialization of the chip to enable secure code execution. External access to chip resources is limited to a very few targeted settings that do not compromise the chip security. The POR engine comprises a small state machine that runs through a predefined sequence coded in persistent memory contained in the processor chip. The state machine initializes the chip and allows external access from an external processor to only some scan chains of the processor chip in order to configure interfaces, and the like, without compromising the chip security. The state machine also manages the encryption keys that are used to verify that the code, fetched by the processor to complete the initialization in software, is not modified by a third party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ingemar Holm, Ralph C. Koester, Cedric Lichtenau, Thomas Pflueger, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 7792154
    Abstract: Mechanisms for controlling asynchronous clock domains to perform synchronous operations are provided. With these mechanisms, when a synchronous operation is to be performed on a chip, the latches of the functional elements of the chip are controlled by a synchronous clock so that the latches are controlled synchronously even across asynchronous boundaries of the chip. The synchronous operation may then be performed and the chip's functional elements returned to being controlled by a local clock in an asynchronous manner after completion of the synchronous operation. This synchronous operation may be, for example, a power on reset (POR) operation, a manufacturing test sequence, debug operation, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan P. Chelstrom, Mack W. Riley
  • Patent number: 7721168
    Abstract: An eFuse data alignment verification mechanism is provided. Alignment latches are provided in a series of latch units of a write scan chain and a logic unit is coupled to the alignment latches. A sequence of data that is scanned-into the series of latch units of the write scan chain preferably includes alignment data values. These alignment data values are placed in positions within the sequence of data that, if the sequence of data is properly scanned-into the series of latch units, cause the data values to be stored in the alignment latches. The logic unit receives data signals from the alignment latches and determines if the proper pattern of data values is stored in the alignment latches. If the proper pattern of data values is present in the alignment latches, then the data is aligned and a program enable signal is sent to the bank of eFuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Mack W. Riley