CMOS Schmitt Trigger Test Circuit

Mitchell Belser, P.E. Visiting Instructor Department of Computer Engineering Jackson State University mbelser@ieee.org

What is a Schmitt Trigger

A type of comparator. A comparator is an electronic circuit whose output state changes when its input reaches a certain value. A comparators output state will change at the same input value whether the input voltage is increasing or decreasing. A noisy signal can cause the output to change state randomly.

Schmitt Trigger Operation

The Schmitt trigger is a comparator circuit that has two threshold voltages. When the input is higher than the upper threshold, the output is high. When the input is lower than the lower threshold, the output is low.

Schmitt Trigger Operation

The Schmitt trigger employs positive feedback. When the input is between the two thresholds the output state does not change. The difference between the two thresholds is the hysteresis.

Schmitt Trigger Transfer Curve

Schmitt Trigger History

The Schmitt trigger was first invented by Otto H. Schmitt in the 1934. Vacuum Tube based design. A Thermionic Trigger, Journal of Scientific Instruments, 15 January 1938 pg 24-26

Schmitt Trigger
v-minus v-plus

R7

R10

R9 output
2

R8
2

V1
1

input

V2
1

R6

Thermionic Trigger

Schmitt Trigger Implementations

Comparator with positive feedback Bipolar transistor Schmitt trigger CMOS transistor Schmitt trigger

Comparator with Positive Feedback

R11

R12 Vin

U1 output

Comparator with Positive Feedback

Bipolar Schmitt Trigger

Upper switching point voltage: Vth = R4/(R4+R3)*Vdd
R1 vdd R2 R3 output Q2

Lower switching point voltage: Vtl = R4/(R4+R2)*Vdd

Q1 input

R4

R5

BJT Schmitt Trigger

CMOS Schmitt Trigger

VDD

Upper switching point voltage: 1/ 3 = W1L3 / W3L1

M5

M6 M4 GND

Lower switching point voltage: 5/ 6 = W5L6 / W6L5

input

U1A

U3A

U4A

output

M2

VDD

M3 M1

GND

Applications
Input buffers for digital signals. Crystal oscillator circuits. Clean up noisy signals (switch debounce). Speed up signals with slow edges.

Problem Description and Motivation for Improvement

The conventional method for characterizing a CMOS Schmitt trigger is to ramp up the input voltage until the output state changes. The input voltage that results in the output changing state is the high threshold voltage VTH. In a similar manner, the low threshold voltage VTL is determined by reducing the input voltage until a state change occurs at the output. This method is widely used. The major draw back is the time that is required to search for the input voltage that results in a state change at the output. The proposed method would eliminate the need to perform a ramp search and thus greatly reduce the time needed to determine the switching threshold voltage levels.

Specific Improvements
Innovation : A CMOS Schmitt trigger circuit containing additional test circuitry that allows trigger voltage levels to be detected at the input without needing to ramp the input voltage. Important components of innovation: The test circuitry consists of combinational logic and a CMOS switch. Digital input signals determine whether the high or low threshold voltage is measurable.

Traditional Schmitt Trigger Circuit

VDD M5

M6 M4 GND

input

U1A

U3A

U4A

output

M2

VDD

M3 M1

GND

Schmitt Trigger Showing Effect of Test Circuitry

VDD

Test

circuitry is shown in blue. Asserting test mode and vih input results in sout being shorted to the input. The gates of the feedback transistors are driven to vdd. The input is regulated to the high input threshold voltage VTH. Asserting test mode and vil input results in sout being shorted to the input. The gates of the feedback transistors are driven to gnd. The input is regulated to the low threshold voltage VTL. In normal operating mode the test circuitry has no effect on Schmitt trigger operation.

M5

M6 M4 GND sout sout

U6A 7402N

U7A 7402N U2A 7408J U5A VTL

U4A

output

M2 U8A VDD 7432N M3 M1 input 7408J M7 M8 U1A

Test_en

VTH

GND sout

Advantages of This Method

Typical method requires input to be driven and output voltage to be monitored in order to determine the switching threshold voltage levels. Test circuitry allow thresholds to be measured at the input without driving input or monitoring the output.

Simply setting a digital input causes the threshold voltage to be present on the input pin of the Schmitt trigger. .
Simplifies test program and reduces test time resulting in increased profit margin.

Measurement Data
Part
C VCL-A4-5 5V

VDD VTH
4.21

STATIC VTL
2.92

RAMP VTH
4.2 4.24

Frequency
3.08 3.04 1.84 1.76 3.12 3.06 1.80 1.72 1 1k 1 1k 1 1k 1 1k

VTL

3.3 V

2.63

1.69

2.64 2.64

A VCL-A4-3

5V

4.22

2.98

4.24 4.28

3.3 V

2.64

1.73

2.66 2.64

Measurement Waveforms
VDD= 3.3V Ramp frequency = 1kHz

Summary
Schmitt trigger threshold test circuit. Measure rising and falling threshold levels. Ramping input and monitoring output state is no longer necessary. Reduction in test time. Increase in profit due to reduction in test time.