Embodiments of a method and a device are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for operating a communications network is disclosed. The method involves setting, at a first network node in the communications network, a register value that is indicative of a fault status associated with the first network node, the register value being set in a physical layer device of the first network node, receiving fault status information at an element in the communications network, the fault status information corresponding to the register value that is set in the physical layer device of the first network node, and determining, at the element in the communications network, a fault status of the communications network in response to the fault status information received at the element in the communications network.

Aspects of the invention include a circuit having a power supply sensitive delay circuit, a variable delay circuit coupled to the power supply sensitive delay circuit, a delay line coupled to the variable delay circuit, and a logic circuit coupled to the delay line.

In some embodiments, a system and/or method may test logic blocks for an integrated circuit. To alleviate problems associated with current methods of integrated circuit testing, a system may include a power switch control signal on a different voltage rail. In some embodiments, a Test VDD may be used to isolate the power switches from the rest of the logic cells in an integrated circuit. During testing, each logic block may be powered individually using the Test VDD to control the power switches to the logic blocks. When a logic block short is identified, the nonviable logic block may be isolated to such that the nonviable logic block is not used during the future and only viable logic blocks are used in the integrated circuit. This allows for use of logic within an integrated circuit that might otherwise have been discarded or destroyed because of one or more shorts.

An automated testing system for power supply units includes a frame, automated test equipment supported by the frame, a test jig supported by the frame and coupled with the automated test equipment, and a robotic arm coupled to the frame. The robotic arm is configured to move a power supply unit onto the test jig to interface with the automated test equipment. The automated test equipment is configured to perform one or more tests on the power supply unit when the power supply unit is interfaced with the automated test equipment, and the robotic arm is configured to move the power supply unit off of the test jig after the one or more tests are completed. Methods of performing automated testing for power supply units are also disclosed.

A modular multilevel converter system, and a voltage detection method and an open-circuit fault diagnosis method thereof are disclosed. The modular multilevel converter system includes: N sub-modules sequentially cascaded, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, each of the sub-modules comprising at least one bridge arm and a capacitor connected in parallel to the bridge arm, the capacitor having a positive terminal and a negative terminal; and a voltage detection unit for detecting a voltage between at least two adjacent sub-modules in the N sub-modules, the voltage detection unit being connected between the positive terminal of the capacitor of the first sub-module and the negative terminal of the capacitor of the last sub-module in the at least two sub-modules.

A testing device includes a measuring unit, a testing board supporting the measuring unit and connected to the measuring unit, and a connecting interface coupled to the testing board. The connecting interface includes connecting terminals protruding in a direction away from the testing board, and is connected to a device under test (DUT) via the connecting terminals. When the DUT is connected to the connecting interface, the measuring unit supplies a constant electric current via the testing board and the connecting interface to the DUT for a preset duration to result in a voltage, measures the voltage, and determines, based on a result of measurement of the voltage, an electrical connection status of the DUT.

The present invention provides a chip comprising a circuit module, a power switch and a detection and control circuit. The power switch is coupled between a supply voltage and the circuit module, and is used to selectively connect the supply voltage to the circuit module, and control a current amount flowing into the circuit module according to at least a control signal. The detection and control circuit is coupled to the power switch, and is used to detect a first signal generated by a first circuit positioned surrounding the circuit module, and compare the first signal with a second signal in a real-time manner to generate the control signal to adjust the current amount flowing into the circuit module.

An integrated circuit (IC) includes subcircuits, power switches coupled to pass load current to a respective one of the subcircuits when activated by a respective switch control signal, and sensing circuits. Each of the sensing circuits is coupled to a respective one of the subcircuits, wherein the sensing circuits are configured to generate sense currents that are proportional to the respective load currents. The IC also includes a conversion circuit configured to receive at least one of the sense currents and to convert the at least one of the sense currents to an equivalent multi-bit digital signal, a timestamp circuit configured to generate a timestamp value that is correlated with the multi-bit digital signal, and a controller configured to provide signals to operate the power switches and the sensing circuits.

A circuit screening system includes a target circuit under test, a power circuit, and a clock generating circuit. The target circuit under test receives a first testing signal in a first period, and a second testing signal in a second period, and the first testing signal is different from the second testing signal. The power circuit provides a supply voltage to the target circuit under test, wherein a voltage level of the supply voltage maintains at a first voltage level in the first period, is pulled up to a second voltage level and back to the first level after the first period, and maintains at the first voltage level in a second period after the first period. The clock generating circuit provides a clock signal to the target circuit under test, wherein the clock signal has different profiles in the first period and the second period.

In some examples, a device includes a control circuit configured to deliver driving signals to a switch. The device also includes a testing circuit configured to cause the control circuit to toggle the switch at a first instance and determine a parameter magnitude at the switch at a second instance after toggling the switch at the first instance by at least determining a voltage magnitude at the switch at the second instance. The testing circuit is also configured to cause the control circuit to toggle the switch after the second instance and determine a parameter magnitude at the switch at a third instance after toggling the switch after the second instance. The testing circuit is further configured to generate an output based on the determined parameter magnitudes at the switch at the second and third instances.