A secure electronic chip including a plurality of biased semiconductor wells and a well biasing current detection circuit. Each of the wells includes a transistor and a bias contact electrically isolated from the transistor. The detection circuit is electrically coupled to each bias contact and is configured to detect a bias current passing through the bias contact that is indicative of an attempt to tamper with the electronic chip.

A secure electronic chip including a plurality of biased semiconductor wells and a well biasing current detection circuit. Each of the wells includes a transistor and a bias contact electrically isolated from the transistor. The detection circuit is electrically coupled to each bias contact and is configured to detect a bias current passing through the bias contact that is indicative of an attempt to tamper with the electronic chip.

A voltage detection circuit for a charge pump is disclosed. The voltage detection circuit includes a sampling circuit and a latch circuit. The sampling circuit is configured to sample a supply voltage and provide the latch circuit with a sampled voltage. The latch circuit is configured to detect the sampled voltage and latch a result of the detection. And the latch circuit is connected to a voltage regulation circuit which is configured to regulate a charge-pump cascade structure in the charge pump based on the result of the detection so as to maintain an output voltage of the charge pump stable.

Provided is a detector circuit that includes: a first transistor that has an alternating current signal input to a base thereof, and that outputs a first detection signal that depends on the alternating current signal from a collector thereof; a second transistor that has the first detection signal input to a base thereof, and that outputs a second detection signal that depends on the first detection signal from a collector thereof; and an alternating current signal path along which the alternating current signal is supplied to the base of the second transistor.

A variable delay circuit, which includes a digital-to-time converter (DTC) circuit and a controller, is disclosed. The DTC circuit includes a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of MOS switches that are turned on and off according to a control code. The DTC circuit receives an input pulse, applies a delay corresponding to the control code to the edge to be delayed, and outputs a delay pulse. The controller supplies a valid code indicating a delay amount as a control code during a period beginning from a predetermined time T.sub.CONST before the edge (positive edge) to be delayed of an input pulse REF up to the edge to be delayed. Further, the controller supplies, as the control code, a dummy code for turning on all of the plurality of MOS switches inside the DTC circuit immediately before the period.

A variable delay circuit, which includes a digital-to-time converter (DTC) circuit and a controller, is disclosed. The DTC circuit includes a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of MOS switches that are turned on and off according to a control code. The DTC circuit receives an input pulse, applies a delay corresponding to the control code to the edge to be delayed, and outputs a delay pulse. The controller supplies a valid code indicating a delay amount as a control code during a period beginning from a predetermined time T.sub.CONST before the edge (positive edge) to be delayed of an input pulse REF up to the edge to be delayed. Further, the controller supplies, as the control code, a dummy code for turning on all of the plurality of MOS switches inside the DTC circuit immediately before the period.

A system includes a monitored component and a comparator configured to compare a sense voltage from the monitored component with a reference voltage. The system also includes an adaptive input clamping circuit configured to limit the sense voltage input to the comparator to below an upper threshold voltage.

A process and temperature variation operating condition that is globally applicable to an integrated circuit die is sensed in a core circuit region to generate a global process and temperature compensation signal. A voltage variation operating condition that is locally applicable to an input/output circuit within a peripheral circuit region of the integrated circuit die is sensed to generate a local voltage compensation signal. More specifically, the localized voltage operating condition is generated as a function of a measured difference in frequency between a first clock signal generated in the peripheral circuit region in response to a supply voltage subject to voltage variation and a second clock signal generated in the core circuit region in response to a fixed bandgap reference voltage. The operation of the input/output circuit is then altered in response to the global process and temperature compensation signal and in response to the local voltage compensation signal.

An electric circuit arrangement and a method for generating electric current pulses to a load, the electric circuit arrangement including a switch and a current source in series connection with the load; wherein the switch is arranged to operate in at least an on state and an off state, thereby selectively connecting or disconnecting the current source to or from the load so as to generate the electric current pulses. With such architecture, the circuit performs with a better efficiency than a cascaded architecture.

An electric circuit arrangement and a method for generating electric current pulses to a load, the electric circuit arrangement including a switch and a current source in series connection with the load; wherein the switch is arranged to operate in at least an on state and an off state, thereby selectively connecting or disconnecting the current source to or from the load so as to generate the electric current pulses. With such architecture, the circuit performs with a better efficiency than a cascaded architecture.