Testability considerations for implementing an embedded memory subsystem

textThere are a number of testability considerations for VLSI design, but test coverage, test time, accuracy of test patterns and correctness of design information for DFD (Design for debug) are the most important ones in design with embedded memories. The goal of DFT (Design-for-Test) is to achieve zero defects. When it comes to the memory subsystem in SOCs (system on chips), many flavors of memory BIST (built-in self test) are able to get high test coverage in a memory, but often, no proper attention is given to the memory interface logic (shadow logic). Functional testing and BIST are the most prevalent tests for this logic, but functional testing is impractical for complicated SOC designs. As a result, industry has widely used at-speed scan testing to detect delay induced defects. Compared with functional testing, scan-based testing for delay faults reduces overall pattern generation complexity and cost by enhancing both controllability and observability of flip-flops. However, without proper modeling of memory, Xs are generated from memories. Also, when the design has chip compression logic, the number of ATPG patterns is increased significantly due to Xs from memories. In this dissertation, a register based testing method and X prevention logic are presented to tackle these problems. An important design stage for scan based testing with memory subsystems is the step to create a gate level model and verify with this model. The flow needs to provide a robust ATPG netlist model. Most industry standard CAD tools used to analyze fault coverage and generate test vectors require gate level models. However, custom embedded memories are typically designed using a transistor-level flow, there is a need for an abstraction step to generate the gate models, which must be equivalent to the actual design (transistor level). The contribution of the research is a framework to verify that the gate level representation of custom designs is equivalent to the transistor-level design. Compared to basic stuck-at fault testing, the number of patterns for at-speed testing is much larger than for basic stuck-at fault testing. So reducing test and data volume are important. In this desertion, a new scan reordering method is introduced to reduce test data with an optimal routing solution. With in depth understanding of embedded memories and flows developed during the study of custom memory DFT, a custom embedded memory Bit Mapping method using a symbolic simulator is presented in the last chapter to achieve high yield for memories.Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Fully-automatic inverse tone mapping algorithm based on dynamic mid-level tone mapping

High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays can show images with higher color contrast levels and peak luminosities than the common Low Dynamic Range (LDR) displays. However, most existing video content is recorded and/or graded in LDR format. To show LDR content on HDR displays, it needs to be up-scaled using a so-called inverse tone mapping algorithm. Several techniques for inverse tone mapping have been proposed in the last years, going from simple approaches based on global and local operators to more advanced algorithms such as neural networks. Some of the drawbacks of existing techniques for inverse tone mapping are the need for human intervention, the high computation time for more advanced algorithms, limited low peak brightness, and the lack of the preservation of the artistic intentions. In this paper, we propose a fully-automatic inverse tone mapping operator based on mid-level mapping capable of real-time video processing. Our proposed algorithm allows expanding LDR images into HDR images with peak brightness over 1000 nits, preserving the artistic intentions inherent to the HDR domain. We assessed our results using the full-reference objective quality metrics HDR-VDP-2.2 and DRIM, and carrying out a subjective pair-wise comparison experiment. We compared our results with those obtained with the most recent methods found in the literature. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms the current state-of-the-art of simple inverse tone mapping methods and its performance is similar to other more complex and time-consuming advanced techniques

Low-Capture-Power Test Generation for Scan-Based At-Speed Testing

Scan-based at-speed testing is a key technology to guarantee timing-related test quality in the deep submicron era. However, its applicability is being severely challenged since significant yield loss may occur from circuit malfunction due to excessive IR drop caused by high power dissipation when a test response is captured. This paper addresses this critical problem with a novel low-capture-power X-filling method of assigning 0\u27s and 1\u27s to unspecified (X) bits in a test cube obtained during ATPG. This method reduces the circuit switching activity in capture mode and can be easily incorporated into any test generation flow to achieve capture power reduction without any area, timing, or fault coverage impact. Test vectors generated with this practical method greatly improve the applicability of scan-based at-speed testing by reducing the risk of test yield lossIEEE International Conference on Test, 2005, 8 November 2005, Austin, TX, US

Method for Testing Field Programmable Gate Arrays

A method of testing field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) includes the step of configuring programmable logic blocks of the FPGAs for completing a built-in self-test. This is followed by the steps of initiating the built-in self-test, generating test patterns with the programmable logic blocks and analyzing a resulting response to produce a pass/fail indication with the programmable logic blocks. More specifically, the configuring step includes establishing a first group of programmable logic blocks as test pattern generators and output response analyzers and a second group of programmable logic blocks as blocks under test. The blocks under test are then repeatedly recongifured in order to completely test each block under test in all possible modes of operation. The programming of the first and second groups of programmable logic blocks is then reversed and the testing of each new block under test is then completed

Tester for chosen sub-standard of the IEEE 802.1Q

Tato práce se zabývá analyzováním IEEE 802.1Q standardu TSN skupiny a návrhem testovacího modulu. Testovací modul je napsán v jazyku VHDL a je možné jej implementovat do Intel Stratix® V GX FPGA (5SGXEA7N2F45C2) vývojové desky. Standard IEEE 802.1Q (TSN) definuje deterministickou komunikace přes Ethernet sít, v reálném čase, požíváním globálního času a správným rozvrhem vysíláním a příjmem zpráv. Hlavní funkce tohoto standardu jsou: časová synchronizace, plánování provozu a konfigurace sítě. Každá z těchto funkcí je definovaná pomocí více různých podskupin tohoto standardu. Podle definice IEEE 802.1Q standardu je možno tyto podskupiny vzájemně libovolně kombinovat. Některé podskupiny standardu nemohou fungovat nezávisle, musí využívat funkce jiných podskupin standardu. Realizace funkce podskupin standardu je možná softwarově, hardwarově, nebo jejich kombinací. Na základě výše uvedených fakt, implementace podskupin standardu, které jsou softwarově související, byly vyloučené. Taky byly vyloučené podskupiny standardů, které jsou závislé na jiných podskupinách. IEEE 802.1Qbu byl vybrán jako vhodná část pro realizaci hardwarového testu. Různé způsoby testování byly vysvětleny jako DFT, BIST, ATPG a další jiné techniky. Pro hardwarové testování byla vybrána „Protocol Aware (PA)“technika, protože tato technika zrychluje testování, dovoluje opakovanou použitelnost a taky zkracuje dobu uvedení na trh. Testovací modul se skládá ze dvou objektů (generátor a monitor), které mají implementovanou IEEE 802.1Qbu podskupinu standardu. Funkce generátoru je vygenerovat náhodné nebo nenáhodné impulzy a potom je poslat do testovaného zařízeni ve správném definovaném protokolu. Funkce monitoru je přijat ethernet rámce a ověřit jejich správnost. Objekty jsou navrhnuty stejným způsobem na „TOP“úrovni a skládají se ze čtyř modulů: Avalon MM rozhraní, dvou šablon a jednoho portu. Avalon MM rozhraní bylo vytvořeno pro komunikaci softwaru s hardwarem. Tento modul přijme pakety ze softwaru a potom je dekóduje podle definovaného protokolu a „pod-protokolu “. „Pod-protokol“se skládá z příkazu a hodnoty daného příkazu. Podle dekódovaného příkazu a hodnot daných příkazem je kontrolovaný celý objekt. Šablona se používá na generování nebo ověřování náhodných nebo nenáhodných dat. Dvě šablony byly implementovány pro expresní ověřování nebo preempční transakce, definované IEEE 802.1Qbu. Porty byly vytvořené pro komunikaci mezi testovaným zařízením a šablonou podle daného standardu. Port „generátor“má za úkol vybrat a vyslat rámce podle priority a času vysílaní. Port „monitor“přijme rámce do „content-addressable memory”, která ověřuje priority rámce a podle toho je posílá do správné šablony. Výsledky prokázaly, že tato testovací technika dosahuje vysoké rychlosti a rychlé implementace.This master paper is dealing with the analysis of IEEE 802.1Q group of TSN standards and with the design of HW tester. Standard IEEE 802.1Qbu has appeared to be an optimal solution for this paper. Detail explanation of this sub-standard are included in this paper. As HW test the implementation, a protocol aware technique was chosen in order to accelerate testing. Paper further describes architecture of this tester, with detail explanation of the modules. Essential issue of protocol aware controlling objects by SW, have been resolved and described. Result proof that this technique has reached higher speed of testing, reusability, and fast implementation.

The Automatic Synthesis of Fault Tolerant and Fault Secure VLSI Systems

This thesis investigates the design of fault tolerant and fault secure (FTFS) systems within the framework of silicon compilation. Automatic design modification is used to introduce FTFS characteristics into a design. A taxonomy of FTFS techniques is introduced and is used to identify a number of features which an "automatic design for FTFS" system should exhibit. A silicon compilation system, Chip Churn 2 (CC2), has been implemented and has been used to demonstrate the feasibility of automatic design of FTFS systems. The CC2 system provides a design language, simulation facilities and a back-end able to produce CMOS VLSI designs. A number of FTFS design methods have been implemented within the CC2 environment; these methods range from triple modular redundancy to concurrent parity code checking. The FTFS design methods can be applied automatically to general designs in order to realise them as FTFS systems. A number of example designs are presented; these are used to illustrate the FTFS modification techniques which have been implemented. Area results for CMOS devices are presented; this allows the modification methods to be compared. A number of problems arising from the methods are highlighted and some solutions suggested

Prognostic and health management for engineering systems: a review of the data-driven approach and algorithms

Prognostics and health management (PHM) has become an important component of many engineering systems and products, where algorithms are used to detect anomalies, diagnose faults and predict remaining useful lifetime (RUL). PHM can provide many advantages to users and maintainers. Although primary goals are to ensure the safety, provide state of the health and estimate RUL of the components and systems, there are also financial benefits such as operational and maintenance cost reductions and extended lifetime. This study aims at reviewing the current status of algorithms and methods used to underpin different existing PHM approaches. The focus is on providing a structured and comprehensive classification of the existing state-of-the-art PHM approaches, data-driven approaches and algorithms

Asynchronous design of a multi-dimensional logarithmic number system processor for digital hearing instruments.

This thesis presents an asynchronous Multi-Dimensional Logarithmic Number System (MDLNS) processor that exhibits very low power dissipation. The target application is for a hearing instrument DSP. The MDLNS is a newly developed number system that has the advantage of reducing hardware complexity compared to the classical Logarithmic Number System (LNS). A synchronous implementation of a 2-digit 2DLNS filterbank, using the MDLNS to construct a FIR filterbank, has successfully proved that this novel number representation can benefit this digital hearing instrument application in the requirement of small size and low power. In this thesis we demonstrate that the combination of using the MDLNS, along with an asynchronous design methodology, produces impressive power savings compared to the previous synchronous design. A 4-phase bundled-data full-handshaking protocol is applied to the asynchronous control design. We adopt the Differential Cascade Voltage Switch Logic (DCVSL) circuit family for the design of the computation cells in this asynchronous MDLNS processor. Besides the asynchronous design methodology, we also use finite ring calculations to reduce adder bit-width to provide improvements compared to the previous MDLNS filterbank architecture. Spectre power simulation results from simulations of this asynchronous MDLNS processor demonstrate that over 70 percent power savings have been achieved compared to the synchronous design. This full-custom asynchronous MDLNS processor has been submitted for fabrication in the TSMC 0.18mum CMOS technology. A further contribution in this thesis is the development of a novel synchronizing method of design for testability (DfT), which is offered as a possible solution for asynchronous DfT methods.Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2004 .W85. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-01, page: 0288. Advisers: G. A. Jullien; W. C. Miller. Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004