Built-In Chip Verification for High-Frequency Debug Triggering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing logic analyzers are unable to handle high-frequency chip clocks, making accurate verification of modern chips expensive and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A chip with built-in verification hardware that includes a sampling module, arithmetic module, and registers to collect and analyze operational information, generating debugging prompts when predetermined trigger conditions are met, eliminating the need for external logic analyzers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external logic analyzers are used for chip verification, then verification capability is provided, but cost increases and high-frequency clocks cannot be handled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the verification functionality into the chip itself by integrating a sampling module, trigger condition judgment module, and debugging prompt generation module within the chip architecture. This eliminates the need for external logic analyzers and enables self-verification capability, directly resolving the contradiction between verification capability and device complexity/cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The chip performs self-verification through built-in hardware that autonomously samples operational information, judges trigger conditions, and generates debugging prompts when errors are detected. This self-service approach removes dependency on expensive external equipment while maintaining reliable verification capability.
2Measurement precision
If external logic analyzers are used for chip verification, then error detection is possible, but the solution becomes expensive and inefficient for high-frequency chips
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling module continuously samples operational information from key nodes before errors manifest, and the trigger condition judgment module is pre-configured with verification criteria. This preliminary action enables the system to detect errors promptly without waiting for external analysis, improving both measurement precision and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The built-in verification system provides immediate feedback by generating debugging prompts directly within the chip when trigger conditions are met. This internal feedback loop enables rapid error detection and localization, enhancing both measurement precision and verification efficiency compared to external logic analyzers.
Data Source
AI summary
A chip with built-in verification is shown. The signals of key nodes within the chip are collected as operational information. Verification hardware built into the chip includes a plurality of registers, which are programmed to define a branch-type trigger condition. The branch-type trigger condition is formed by sequence-related events. The verification hardware includes an arithmetic module that generates a debugging prompt in response to the branch-type trigger condition defined in the plurality of registers being satisfied by the operational information.