Analog Configurability-Test Scheme for an Embedded Op-Amp Module in TI MSP430 Microcontrollers

This paper proposes the application of the analog configurability test (ACT) approach for an embedded analog configurable circuit, composed by operational amplifiers and interconnection resources that are embedded in the MSP430xG461x microcontrollers family, with the aim of verifying its mode programmability. This test strategy is particularly useful for applications involving in-field circuit reconfiguration, and require reliability and safe operation characteristics. The approach minimizes the cost in hardware overhead by employing only the hardware and software resources of the microcontroller. An embedded test routine sequentially programs selected module configurations, sets the test stimulus, acquires data from the internal ADC, and performs required calculations to determine the gain of the block. The test approach is experimentally evaluated using an embedded-system based real application board. Our experimental results show very good repeatability, with very low errors. These results show that the ACT proposed here is useful for testing the functionality of the EACC under test in a real application context by using a simple strategy at a very low cost.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Analog Configurability-Test Scheme for an Embedded Op-Amp Module in TI MSP430 Microcontrollers

This paper proposes the application of the analog configurability test (ACT) approach for an embedded analog configurable circuit, composed by operational amplifiers and interconnection resources that are embedded in the MSP430xG461x microcontrollers family, with the aim of verifying its mode programmability. This test strategy is particularly useful for applications involving in-field circuit reconfiguration, and require reliability and safe operation characteristics. The approach minimizes the cost in hardware overhead by employing only the hardware and software resources of the microcontroller. An embedded test routine sequentially programs selected module configurations, sets the test stimulus, acquires data from the internal ADC, and performs required calculations to determine the gain of the block. The test approach is experimentally evaluated using an embedded-system based real application board. Our experimental results show very good repeatability, with very low errors. These results show that the ACT proposed here is useful for testing the functionality of the EACC under test in a real application context by using a simple strategy at a very low cost.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

A built-in self-test approach for the embedded resistor array in TI MSP430 microcontrollers

In this paper, we propose a built-in self-test (BIST) for the resistor array in an embedded analog configurable circuit (EACC) that is present in the Texas Instruments® MSP430 microcontrollers family. The EACC is formed also by an Operational Amplifier (OA) and interconnection resources. We focus in the resistor array test due to this section establishes the feedback path for the embedded OAs and set the gain value for the EACC closed-loop configurations. The test establishes, through very simple measurements, which combinations of the resistor ladder are available for the user by using only the resources embedded in the microcontroller. The experimental results show that the BIST proposed presents a very good repeatability in the measurements with very low dispersion, for one chip, for a sample of chips and under different temperature conditions. The error in the measurements, evaluated using a higher precision voltmeter, is also low. These results show that the BIST proposed is useful for testing the functionality of the resistor array in the EACC under test using a simple strategy at a very low cost.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Adaptive amplifier system for sensor network applications

This paper presents an adaptive amplifier that is part of a sensor node in a wireless sensor network. The system presents a target gain that has to be maintained despite the presence of faults while its bandwidth must be as large as possible, without direct human intervention. The system is composed by a software-based built-in self-test scheme implemented in the node that checks all the available gains in the amplifiers, a reconfigurable amplifier and by a genetic algorithm (GA) for reconfiguring the node resources that runs in a host computer. We adopt for the node implementation a PSoC device from Cypress. The performance evaluation of the scheme presented is made by adopting two different types of fault-models in the amplifier gains. The fault simulation results show that GA finds the target gain with low error, maintains the bandwidth above the minimum tolerable bandwidth and presents a run time lower than an exhaustive search method.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Analog Configurability-Test Scheme for an Embedded Op-Amp Module in TI MSP430 Microcontrollers

This paper proposes the application of the analog configurability test (ACT) approach for an embedded analog configurable circuit, composed by operational amplifiers and interconnection resources that are embedded in the MSP430xG461x microcontrollers family, with the aim of verifying its mode programmability. This test strategy is particularly useful for applications involving in-field circuit reconfiguration, and require reliability and safe operation characteristics. The approach minimizes the cost in hardware overhead by employing only the hardware and software resources of the microcontroller. An embedded test routine sequentially programs selected module configurations, sets the test stimulus, acquires data from the internal ADC, and performs required calculations to determine the gain of the block. The test approach is experimentally evaluated using an embedded-system based real application board. Our experimental results show very good repeatability, with very low errors. These results show that the ACT proposed here is useful for testing the functionality of the EACC under test in a real application context by using a simple strategy at a very low cost.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Testing the Configurable Analog Blocks of Field Programmable Analog Arrays

International audienceThe problem of testing the Configurable Analog Blocks (CABs) of Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAAs) is addressed in this paper. The considered fault model comprises deviations in the nominal values of CAB programmable capacitors, deviations in the programmable gains of CAB input amplifiers and stuck-on/stuck-open faults in CAB switches. The problem of test stimuli generation is solved, in a first approach, by using the Oscillation Test Strategy (OTS), which is associated to a test response analysis external to the device under test. In a second approach, a Built-In Self-Test (BIST) scheme is proposed by associating to the OTS an Output Response Analyzer (ORA) built using the internal FPAA resources. Both approaches are validated using the ispPAC10 FPAA from the Lattice Semiconductor Corporation. In the paper, the approaches are compared in terms of fault coverage, test application time and required external hardware resources for testing. Experimental results show that a good compromise of these aspects can be found by taking the best of each approach