Abstract An adjunct chip, usable as a peripheral to a microprocessor, which detects power failure, and puts the microprocessor into a known state upon power down. In order to reliably and stably put the microprocessor into a known state, several clocks are generated after the reset signal. However, since the power supply is failing, it is possible that the crystal-controlled oscillator may already have become unreliable. Therefore, a simple logic circuit (a ring oscillator, in the presently preferred embodiment) is used to generate the needed additional clocks at power-down. In the presently preferred embodiment, the switch from crystal-controlled oscillator to ring oscillator is stabilized by using a nonlinear filter circuit (driven by both the ring oscillator and the crystal oscillator) to detect when the crystal oscillator actually begins to fail. A transmission gate is then disabled, and the state frozen for long enough to allow any changes to propagate through.
An integrated circuit, useable as a peripheral to a microprocessor, comprising: a reset output connectable to a reset input of the microprocessor; a clock output connectable to a clock input of the microprocessor; power monitoring circuitry, connected to monitor the voltage of an externally received power supply; a crystal-controlled oscillator, connected to produce a first clock signal; a free-running uncontrolled oscillator, connected to produce a second clock signal; a filter circuit, connected to receive said first and second clock signals as inputs, and to provide a warning output indicating when said first clock signal begins to fail; a transmission gate, filter circuit, and connected to interrupt propagation of at least some signals into said filter circuit when said warning output is received; a multiplexer, connected to receive said warning output from said filter circuit, and connected to receive said first and second clock signals as inputs, and connected to provide an output corresponding to one of said clock signals selected in accordance with said warning signal; wherein, when said power monitoring circuitry detects that the voltage of the externally received power supply has fallen below a predetermined minimum threshold, said reset output provides a reset signal, and said multiplexer switches its input from said first clock signal to said second clock signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
212 words
An integrated circuit, useable as a peripheral to a microprocessor, comprising: a reset output connectable to a reset input of the microprocessor; a clock output connectable to a clock input of the microprocessor; power monitoring circuitry, connected to monitor the voltage of an externally received power supply; a crystal-controlled oscillator, connected to produce a first clock signal; a free-running uncontrolled oscillator, connected to produce a second clock signal; a filter circuit, connected to receive said first and second clock signals as inputs, and to provide a warning output indicating when said first clock signal begins to fail; a transmission gate, filter circuit, and connected to interrupt propagation of at least some signals into said filter circuit when said warning output is received; a multiplexer, connected to receive said warning output from said filter circuit, and connected to receive said first and second clock signals as inputs, and connected to provide an output corresponding to one of said clock signals selected in accordance with said warning signal; wherein, when said power monitoring circuitry detects that the voltage of the externally received power supply has fallen below a predetermined minimum threshold, said reset output provides a reset signal, and said multiplexer switches its input from said first clock signal to said second clock signal.