An image-capturing unit includes: an image-capturing chip; a power supply circuit unit that outputs electrical power to be fed to the image-capturing chip; a power supply line that feeds electrical power from the power supply circuit unit to the image-capturing chip; a disconnecting unit that is provided to the power supply line and is electrically disconnecting the power supply circuit unit and the image-capturing chip when a leakage current of the image-capturing chip is measured; and an implementation substrate on which the power supply circuit unit, the image-capturing chip, the power supply line and the disconnecting unit are implemented.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for verifying the authenticity of an integrated circuit device. An integrated test apparatus may use quiescent current and/or conducted electromagnetic interference readings to determine if a device under test matches the characteristics of an authenticated device. Deviations from the characteristics of the authenticated device may be indicative of a counterfeit device.

A current measurement circuit may use a probabilistic technique to determine a current from a circuit block. In one embodiment, the circuit includes a comparator circuit, a first current sensing element (such as a first resistor), and a control circuit. The first current sensing element is coupled to the comparator circuit to establish a first comparator input signal representative of the current at an input of the comparator circuit. The control circuit is coupled to the comparator circuit to obtain a first plurality of comparator output decisions corresponding to the first current sensing element for a specified count, determine a first proportion of comparator output decisions meeting a specified criterion, and determine a voltage value of the first comparator input signal from the first proportion. The control circuit is configured to determine a current value using the voltage value of the first comparator input signal and an impedance value of the first current sensing element. The current measurement circuit is relatively low-cost and easy to implement, without requiring a precision reference voltage, current, and/or high-cost analog-to-digital converters (ADCs).

An example method comprises providing a power MOSFET, a voltage source coupled to the power MOSFET, and a current measurement device coupled to a first non-control terminal of the power MOSFET. The voltage source, the current measurement device, and a second non-control terminal of the power MOSFET couple to ground. The method comprises using the voltage source to apply a voltage between a gate terminal and the second non-control terminal of the power MOSFET, the voltage greater than zero volts and less than a threshold voltage of the power MOSFET. The method also includes using the current measurement device to measure a first current flowing through the first non-control terminal while applying the voltage. The method further comprises using the first current to predict a second current through the first non-control terminal for a voltage between the gate terminal and the second non-control terminal that is approximately zero.

An image-capturing unit includes; an image-capturing chip; a power supply circuit unit that outputs electrical power to be fed to the image-capturing chip; a power supply line that feeds electrical power from the power supply circuit unit to the image-capturing chip; a disconnecting unit that is provided to the power supply line and is electrically disconnecting the power supply circuit unit and the image-capturing chip when a leakage current of the image-capturing chip is measured; and an implementation substrate on which the power supply circuit unit, the image-capturing chip, the power supply line and the disconnecting unit are implemented.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for verifying the authenticity of an integrated circuit device. An integrated test apparatus may use quiescent current and/or conducted electromagnetic interference readings to determine if a device under test matches the characteristics of an authenticated device. Deviations from the characteristics of the authenticated device may be indicative of a counterfeit device.

An evaluation method for insulation performance includes: a step of applying a DC voltage to a first insulator and measuring an integration value of a current flowing through the first insulator from a start of application of the DC voltage after a prescribed time period; a step of applying a DC voltage to the second insulator on an applying condition that is identical to that in the step and measuring an integration value of a current flowing through the second insulator from a start of application of the DC voltage after a prescribed time period; and a step of comparing (i) a first graph obtained in the step and (ii) a second graph obtained in the step , to evaluate a difference between insulation performances of the insulators.

Memory devices include an array of memory cells and circuitry for control and/or access of the array of memory cells, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform a method including applying a first voltage to the access line following a verify of the program operation then electrically floating the access line, connecting the access line to the first input of the operational amplifier, applying a second voltage to a second access line adjacent the access line, applying a reference current to the access line while applying the second voltage to the second access line, applying the reference voltage to the second input of the operational amplifier while applying the second voltage to the second access line, and indicating a fail status of the program operation if current flow to or from the access line exceeds the reference current sinking current from, or sourcing current to, respectively, the first access line.

An apparatus for determining the occurrence of a leakage current between a series connected electrochemical battery cells, comprising: a first cell connection terminal for connection to a first cell's first terminal via first filter circuitry; a second cell connection terminal for connection, via second filter circuitry, to a connection between the first cell's second terminal and a second cell's first terminal, the first and second cell adjacent in the series arrangement; a first cell balancing terminal for connection to the first cell's first terminal bypassing the first filter circuitry; a second cell balancing terminal for connection to the connection between the first cell's second terminal and the second cell's first cell terminal; balancing circuitry for providing a connection between the cell balancing terminals; the apparatus configured to provide for identification of a leakage current based at least on a voltage between the cell connection terminals and the cell balancing terminals.

Techniques regarding autonomous identification of aged circuits are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can comprise a system, which can comprise a memory that can store computer executable components. The system can also comprise a processor, operably coupled to the memory, and that can execute the computer executable components stored in the memory. The computer executable components can comprise an identification component, operatively coupled to the processor, that can identify an aged circuit by analyzing a current-voltage characteristic curve for a distortion in a sub-threshold quiescent current signature of the aged circuit.