US 12,352,802 B2
Circuits and techniques for predicting end of life based on in situ monitors and limit values defined for the in situ monitors
Georg Georgakos, Erding (DE); Bernhard Gstoettenbauer, Engerwitzdorf (AT); Dirk Hammerschmidt, Villach (AT); Veit Kleeberger, Munich (DE); Ludwig Rossmeier, Dorfen (DE); Rafael Zalman, Markt Schwaben (DE); and Thomas Zettler, Hoehenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn (DE)
Assigned to Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed by Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed on Dec. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/457,221.
Prior Publication US 2023/0168295 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. G01R 31/26 (2020.01); G01R 31/27 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 31/2642 (2013.01) [G01R 31/27 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A circuit configured to be used within a system, the circuit comprising:
a functional circuit that is configured to perform a circuit function;
one or more in situ monitors configured to measure internal data associated with the functional circuit, wherein the internal data measured by the one or more in situ monitors includes one or more of leakage current, a time of data arrival compared to a clock, failure counts, counts of error correction codes, delay drift, or frequency drift;
a memory configured to store one or more limit values associated with the one or more in situ monitors; and
a lifetime model unit implemented in circuitry and configured to determine whether the functional circuit has reached an end-of-life threshold based on the measured internal data from the one or more in situ monitors and the limit values, wherein the lifetime model unit includes a compare unit implemented in the circuitry and configured to compare the measured internal data to the one or more limit values, wherein the lifetime model unit is configured to determine whether the functional circuit has reached the end-of-life threshold based on the compare unit comparing the measured internal data to the one or more limit values stored in the memory, and wherein the lifetime model unit includes a message provider implemented in the circuitry and configured to output a system-level alert to another circuit of the system to cause replacement of the circuit within the system, in response to the lifetime model unit determining that the functional circuit has reached the end-of-life threshold, wherein the lifetime model unit is further configured to disable at least a portion of the circuit in response to identifying that the circuit has reached the end-of-life threshold.