IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,032,520
Granted Patent B2
US 10,032,520 · App. 15/237,610 · Granted Jul 24, 2018

Power system with detecting function

Inventors: Chi-Yi Shao (Hsinchu County, TW); Po-Hao Huang (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: eMemory Technology Inc.
G11C17/16G11C17/18H02J1/00H02J4/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,032,520
App. No.
15/237,610
Granted
Jul 24, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power system with detecting function includes a power source, a power level detector, and a power floating detector. The power source includes multiple voltage sources for operations in multiple voltage domains, respectively. The power level detector is configured to constantly monitor the voltage level of each voltage domain. The power floating detector is configured to detect the presence of floating voltages in each voltage domain. Therefore, the present power system with detection function can guarantee stable operations and detect glitch attacks.

Claims (65)

1. A power system with detecting function, comprising:

a power source comprising:

a first voltage source for operations in a first voltage domain of the power system; and

a second voltage source for operations in a second voltage domain of the power system;

a power level detector comprising:

a first voltage level detector configured to determine whether a voltage supplied by the first voltage source is within a first nominal operational range associated with the first voltage domain; and

a second voltage level detector configured to determine whether a voltage supplied by the second voltage source is within a second nominal operational range associated with the second voltage domain;

a power floating detector comprising:

a first voltage floating detector configured to determine whether the voltage supplied by the second voltage source is floating; and

a controller configured to output a power status signal according to a level signal and a floating signal, wherein:

the power status signal is at a first level when the voltage supplied by the first voltage source exceeds the first nominal operational range, when the voltage supplied by the second voltage source exceeds the second nominal operational range, when the voltage supplied by the first voltage source is floating, or when the voltage supplied by the second voltage source is floating; and

the power status signal is at a second level when the voltage supplied by the first voltage source is within the first nominal operational range, when the voltage supplied by the second voltage source is within the second nominal operational range, when the voltage supplied by the first voltage source is not floating, and when the voltage supplied by the second voltage source is not floating.

2. The power system of claim 1 , wherein:

the first voltage level detector includes:

a first comparator comprising:

a positive input end coupled to receive a first reference voltage associated with a lower limit of the first nominal operational range;

a negative input end coupled to receive a first voltage associated with the voltage supplied by the first voltage source; and

an output end for outputting a first control signal according to a relationship between the first reference voltage and the first voltage;

a second comparator comprising:

a positive input end coupled to receive the first voltage;

a negative input end coupled to receive a second reference voltage associated with an upper limit of the first nominal operational range; and

an output end for outputting a second control signal according to a relationship between the second reference voltage and the first voltage; and

the second voltage level detector includes:

a third comparator comprising:

a positive input end coupled to receive a third reference voltage associated with a lower limit of the second nominal operational range;

a negative input end coupled to receive a second voltage associated with the voltage supplied by the second voltage source; and

an output end for outputting a third control signal according to a relationship between the third reference voltage and the second voltage; and

a fourth comparator comprising:

a positive input end coupled to receive the second voltage;

a negative input end coupled to receive a fourth reference voltage associated with an upper limit of the second nominal operational range; and

an output end for outputting a fourth control signal according to a relationship between the fourth reference voltage and the second voltage.

3. The power system of claim 2 , wherein:

the power level detector further comprises a reference voltage generator configured to generate the first reference voltage, the second reference voltage, the third reference voltage and the fourth reference voltage; and

a logic circuit configured to generate the level signal and switch a polarity of the level signal according to the first control signal, the second control signal, the third control signal, and the fourth control signal.

4. The power system of claim 2 , wherein the first comparator, the second comparator, the third comparator and the fourth comparator operate in the second voltage domain.

5. The power system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a voltage converter configured to convert the voltage supplied by the second voltage source into the second voltage, wherein the voltage supplied by the second voltage source is larger than the voltage supplied by the first voltage source.

6. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the power floating detector further comprises:

a second voltage floating detector configured to determine whether the voltage supplied by the first voltage source is floating.

7. The power system of claim 6 , wherein:

the first voltage floating detector includes:

an input end coupled to receive a first voltage associated with the voltage supplied by the first voltage source and coupled to a ground via a first resistor;

an output end for outputting a fifth control signal according to a level of the voltage supplied by the first voltage source; and

one or multiple first inverters coupled in series between the input end and the output end of the first voltage floating detector;

the second voltage floating detector includes:

an input end coupled to receive a second voltage associated with the voltage supplied by the second voltage source and coupled to the ground via a second resistor;

an output end for outputting a sixth control signal according to a level of the voltage supplied by the second voltage source; and

one or multiple second inverters coupled in series between the input end and the output end of the second voltage floating detector; and

the power floating detector further comprises a logic circuit configured to generate the floating signal and switch a polarity of the floating signal according to the fifth control signal and the sixth control signal.

8. The power system of claim 7 , wherein:

the one or multiple first inverters operate in the second voltage domain; and

the one or multiple second inverters operate in the first voltage domain.

9. The power system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a voltage converter configured to convert the voltage supplied by the second voltage source into the second voltage, wherein the voltage supplied by the second voltage source is larger than the voltage supplied by the first voltage source.

10. The power system of claim 7 , wherein:

each first inverter includes at least one N-type transistor and at least one P-type transistor arranged in a complementary-symmetric configuration; and

a width/length (W/L) ratio of the at least one N-type transistor and a W/L ratio of the at least one P-type transistor are determined according to the first voltage and the second voltage.

11. The power system of claim 7 , wherein a driving power of the at least one N-type transistor is larger than a driving power of the at least one P-type transistor.

12. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage floating detector includes:

a level shifter configured to convert first data received from a circuit operating in the first domain into second data in the second domain;

one or multiple inverters configured to generate third data by inverting a state of the second data; and

a logic circuit configured to generate the level signal and switch a polarity of the level signal according to the first data and the third data.

13. The power system of claim 1 , wherein:

the first voltage level detector is further configured to determine whether a first transient disturbance occurs to the voltage supplied by the first voltage source; and

the second voltage level detector is further configured to determine whether a second transient disturbance occurs to the voltage supplied by the second voltage source.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2016
From: SHAO, CHI-YI; HUANG, PO-HAO
To: EMEMORY TECHNOLOGY INC.
Reel/Frame 039438/0823 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62206828 · Aug 18, 2015
Related Publication 20170054300A1 · Feb 23, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,572,706