Block-level test scheduling under power dissipation constraints

As dcvicc technologies such as VLSI and Multichip Module (MCM) become mature, and larger and denser memory ICs arc implemented for high-performancc digital systems, power dissipation becomes a critical factor and can no longer be ignored cither in normal operation of the system or under test conditions. One of the major considerations in test scheduling is the fact that heat dissipated during test application is significantly higher than during normal operation (sometimes 100 - 200% higher). Therefore, this is one of the recent major considerations in test scheduling. Test scheduling is strongly related to test concurrency. Test concurrency is a design property which strongly impacts testability and power dissipation. To satisfy high fault coverage goals with reduced test application time under certain power dissipation constraints, the testing of all components on the system should be performed m parallel to the greatest extent possible. Some theoretical analysis of this problem has been carried out, but only at IC level. The problem was basically described as a compatible test clustering, where the compatibility among tests was given by test resource and power dissipation conflicts at the same time. From an implementation point of view this problem was identified as an Non-Polynomial (NP) complete problem In this thesis, an efficient scheme for overlaying the block-tcsts, called the extended tree growing technique, is proposed together with classical scheduling algorithms to search for power-constrained blocktest scheduling (PTS) profiles m a polynomial time Classical algorithms like listbased scheduling and distribution-graph based scheduling arc employed to tackle at high level the PTS problem. This approach exploits test parallelism under power constraints. This is achieved by overlaying the block-tcst intervals of compatible subcircuits to test as many of them as possible concurrently so that the maximum accumulated power dissipation is balanced and does not exceed the given limit. The test scheduling discipline assumed here is the partitioned testing with run to completion. A constant additive model is employed for power dissipation analysis and estimation throughout the algorithm

Oman and the West: State formation in Oman since 1920.

This thesis analyses the external and internal influences on the process of state formation in Oman since 1920 and places this process in comparative perspective with the other states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It considers the extent to which the concepts of informal empire and collaboration are useful in analysing the relationship between Oman, Britain and the United States. The theoretical framework is the historical materialist paradigm of International Relations. State formation in Oman since 1920 is examined in a historical narrative structured by three themes: (1) the international context of Western involvement, (2) the development of Western strategic interests in Oman and (3) their economic, social and political impact on Oman. The incorporation of the Arabian littoral into the security sphere of the British empire in India separated the Imamate in the mountainous interior of Oman from the British-backed Sultans in Muscat. This culminated in the Treaty of Sib in 1920 following which the government of the Sultanate was restructured by British officials. The discovery of oil in Bahrain in 1932 marked a new phase in the incorporation of the Arabian peninsula into the capitalist world-system. In south-east Arabia this led to the occupation of the interior in 1955 by the British-supported forces of Sa'id bin Taimur. The coup of 1970 in which Qabus became Sultan allowed the development of a pro-Western rentier state and the defeat of the rebels in Dhofar. British imperial withdrawal from the region was completed with the relinquishment of its bases in the Sultanate of Oman in 1977. The development of a strategic relationship between Oman and the United States in the 1980s enhanced American military deployment during the Kuwait crisis of 1990-1991. In the aftermath of this conflict Oman faces the challenge of political development in an environment of diminishing oil reserves

Designing Testability Into An Existing Microprocessor Board

Master of ScienceDepartment of Electrical and Computer EngineeringThis thesis presents the hardware implementation of a microprocessor system built according to the microprocessor-controlled Built-In Self-Test (BIST) techniques as presented by Gordon [Gordon 1991 a]. It covers issues relating to the isolation of the edge connector and secondary board areas, to the use and function of a fieldprogrammable gate array (Logic Cell Array)n", to the implementation of electronic wraparounds, and to the general design of the software to support the testability features. In addition, it covers the general use of the ANSI/IEEE Std. 1149.1 test bus for diagnosis, isolation, and board-level partitioning

Watching and policing in Manchester and Salford 1880 – 1900

This thesis provides an analysis of the work of the Salford and Manchester Watch Committees between 1880 –1900 and presents a unique comparative analysis of policing in the two towns. The analysis of police performance in the late nineteenth century is of vital importance in understanding the role the police were expected to perform. In this period HM government took an increasingly active part in national development and local government matured into an effective body. Manchester had a population of c.22,500 in 1773, rising to c.550,000 by 1901. Salford had experienced an increase from c.4,765 to c.220,000 over the same period. In the nineteenth century both Manchester and Salford changed dramatically and policing in Manchester and Salford changed as a result. The thesis will be based on four sets of primary data: the minutes of the Salford Watch Committee and the Manchester Watch Committee plus the Annual Reports of the respective Chief Constables. One of the elements of the thesis will revolve around the reliability of statistics. It will also examine the administrations of the two towns and determine if they attained a standard that could be expected of such municipal bodies, and the level of independence the two adjacent boroughs enjoyed. It will consider why crime rates fell sharply in the latter decades of the nineteenth century. Research into, and focus on, policing in Manchester and Salford in the late Victorian period has never been conducted before. This research is unique and original and will offer a significant contribution to the historiography by identifying levels of criminality, police performance and police management of the two towns