Dynamic IC Defect Recovery via Logic Path Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and size of integrated circuits make it difficult to simulate and test all possible system states and logic paths, leading to design defects that are often discovered after production, resulting in costly delays and field defects.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising modules for error detection, system control register modifications, and recovery processes, including an error check module, control settings module, retry module, and recovery module, which utilize a knowledge database to change system logic paths and recover from design defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extensive simulations and tests are performed to discover and correct defects, then design defect detection capability is improved, but time and technical resources are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing error injection mechanisms during the design phase to proactively identify potential defects before production. The system pre-configures test scenarios and error conditions that will be automatically evaluated, allowing defects to be discovered early in the development cycle rather than during lengthy post-production testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through automated test result analysis that feeds back into the design process. When errors are detected during simulation or testing, the system automatically generates feedback reports that guide further testing and design modifications, creating a closed-loop process that efficiently identifies and corrects defects without requiring exhaustive manual testing of all possible states.
2Reliability
If every possible system state and logic path is simulated and tested, then design defect detection is improved, but computational resources and time are excessively increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by focusing testing efforts on the most critical and frequently occurring system states and logic paths rather than attempting to test every possible state. The system identifies and prioritizes high-risk areas for testing, achieving effective defect detection in the most important regions without the prohibitive cost of exhaustive testing of all possible states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the complex system into manageable testable components and logic paths. By dividing the integrated circuit into functional blocks and testing them separately with targeted test cases, the system can achieve comprehensive defect detection without requiring a single exhaustive simulation of the entire system in all possible states.
3Reliability
If design changes are made after production to correct defects, then defect correction is achieved, but product release delays and costs are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing a field update mechanism that allows defect corrections to be prepared and deployed without requiring physical recalls or manufacturing changes. The system pre-prepares correction code and configuration changes that can be remotely applied to fielded products, enabling rapid defect correction while maintaining product availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by creating a flexible, updatable defect correction system that can adapt to newly discovered defects after production. The correction mechanism is designed to be dynamically configurable and deployable, allowing the system to respond to field defects without rigid adherence to fixed manufacturing specifications, thereby reducing correction time and avoiding product recalls.
4Productivity
If boundary cases and less frequently used logic paths are not simulated or tested, then simulation time and cost are reduced, but design defects in these areas remain undetected until field operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by implementing error injection mechanisms that specifically target boundary cases and less frequently used logic paths. The system proactively introduces test errors and edge case scenarios during design validation to prevent defects in these areas from reaching production, counteracting the tendency to overlook rare execution paths in favor of more common operational modes.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for the recovery from a design defect in an integrated circuit. The apparatus includes an error check module, a control settings module, a retry module, and a recovery module. The error check module discovers that an error has occurred during an operation. The control settings module changes the contents of one or more system control registers according to a set of system control settings that change the logic path of one or more system signals. The retry module executes the operation. The recovery module discovers that the operation was executed successfully.