Interposer Adapter Board for Early SoC Emulation Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Development of new computing hardware, such as printed circuit assemblies and System on a Chip (SoC), is challenging due to the need for validation and testing of new generations before completion, leading to increased costs and time, as traditional methods rely on previous generations that are not equivalent and require additional interfaces, which are resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
An interposer and adapter board system is introduced, allowing for emulation of the intended SoC during development, enabling testing of printed circuit assemblies and components before production, reducing costs and time by using an emulation system to simulate the new SoC through an interposer connected to an adapter board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional testing methods using previous-generation components are used, then testing can be performed, but development time and costs increase due to non-equivalent components and additional interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by creating an emulation system that simulates the new-generation SoC functionality before the actual hardware is available. This allows the printed circuit assembly to be tested in advance using equivalent emulated functionality, eliminating the need to wait for physical prototypes and significantly reducing development time while maintaining reliable testing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies copying by creating a functional copy of the new-generation SoC through emulation technology. The emulation system replicates the intended SoC's instruction set architecture and operational behavior, providing a virtual equivalent that can be used for testing instead of requiring the actual physical component or relying on non-equivalent previous-generation hardware
2Reliability
If traditional testing methods using previous-generation components are used, then testing can be performed, but development costs increase due to resource-intensive interfaces and non-equivalent components
Solution Approach 1:
The emulation system creates a virtual copy of the new-generation SoC that can be instantiated on existing hardware platforms. This copying approach eliminates the need for expensive physical prototypes and reduces costs associated with developing and maintaining specialized test hardware interfaces, while still providing comprehensive testing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The emulation system provides universal testing capability that can evaluate the printed circuit assembly with the intended new-generation SoC architecture without requiring physical presence of the SoC. This multi-functional approach allows a single emulation platform to serve multiple testing purposes and reduce overall development costs compared to traditional methods requiring dedicated test hardware for each component generation
Data Source
AI summary
In various examples, a computing system with a printed circuit assembly including a socket coupled to an interposer to allow the testing of various components of the printed circuit assembly is provided. For example, the interposer includes a connector that is coupled with the adapter board and allows communication between the adapter board and the printed circuit assembly. In one example, the adapter board is connected to an emulation system that emulates an integrated circuit component such as a System on a Chip (SoC). In other examples, the adapter board includes components that test hardware and software of the printed circuit assembly.