Built-In Monitors

Innovation in Test and Measurement

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Q-Star Test’s Built-in current monitors...
... consist of several types of Intellectual Property (IP) blocks for built-in current monitoring applications, but that also can be used as stand-alone measurement modules. These IP blocks are the BICMON, T-Mon and PG-Mon.
The BICMON is an example of a quiescent supply current or IDDQ monitor, and can also be used to measure other currents than supply currents
The T-Mon is designed to function as a transient current or IDDT monitor, and can also serve as analog supply current monitor.
The PG-Mon serves as an on-chip monitor, designed to validate interconnections between the die and its application substrate, with a particular focus on power and ground connections. The instrument can also be used for on-line current monitoring applications.

BIC Application

BICMON

T-Mon

PG-Mon

The PG-Mon is a noninvasive, highly reliable, (boundary) scan controllable on-chip CMOS current monitor and is applicable at SOC, board and system level. The PG-Mon is originally designed to enable the validation of each power and ground connection independently. However, the PG-Mon can also be used for the verification of any Integrated Circuit Connection (ICC). ICCs in this context comprise on-chip connections as well as connections between an IC and its application substrate, including bonding and soldering. (e.g. when mounting an IC on a PCB, MCM, Flip-Chip, Chip Scale Packaging, SOP,…, or for IP units part of an SOC). In addition the PG-Mon can also be used as a current measurement device.
The PGMON is fully transparent to the circuit of which the connections are being monitored; it does not affect the operation nor the performance of the circuit of which the connections are verified. The particular design guarantees a proper detection, irrespective of local and global process parameter variations hereby avoiding the need for calibration. The circuit can be put in a power down mode.
To characterize and validate the design concept an implementation was done using the Alcatel Microelectronics 0.35µm CMOS technology, the core size for this technology is 95x100µm². The parameters listed refer to that implementation, targeted for use in combination with 3.3V devices. However, the PGMON is not restricted to this technology and supply voltage. The design is easily transferable to other CMOS processes and voltages.

Applications :

On-chip (Power) Connection Verification
Wafer Sort Testing
On-chip I/O Continuity Checks
On-line Monitoring
IDD measurements
Dynamic IDDT Monitor Applications
Mixed Signal Testing On-chip

Features:

Small Chip Area: 95x100µm² (0.35µm CMOS)
Continuity detection range: 1.5 – 4.0 ohm
Maximum measurement rate: 20 kHz
(Boundary) Scan Controllable (3 pins)
No calibration needed
Easily transferable to other CMOS processes
Covered by US Patent No 6,531,885 B1

Click on the file icon below to view the PG-Mon product highlight or visit the download page.

PG-Mon Product Highlight