Reconfigurable Tester Protocol Engine for Non-Deterministic SOC Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated test equipment systems struggle to accurately test system-on-a-chip (SOC) devices due to their nondeterministic behavior, which leads to inaccurate test results and increased time and cost in the testing and evaluation phase, as they fail to replicate the normal operating environment's electrical and timing conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a protocol-specific circuit within the automated test equipment system that simulates a functional operational environment by recognizing non-deterministic response signals and adjusting stimulus signals accordingly, allowing the SOC device to interact as if it were in its standard operating conditions, using reconfigurable integrated circuits like FPGAs to decode and synchronize test signals based on the device's protocol.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If deterministic test operations are used with fixed timing and structure, then test control is simplified, but testing accuracy for nondeterministic SOC devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The test system transitions from static deterministic timing to dynamic adaptive timing by detecting edge placements and adjusting stimulus signal timing in real-time based on actual device response, allowing the test protocol to adapt to nondeterministic device behavior while maintaining operational control
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring response signal edges and using this information to adjust the timing of subsequent stimulus signals, creating a closed-loop test operation that improves measurement accuracy for nondeterministic devices while maintaining simplified control through automated adjustment
2Measurement precision
If custom functional test apparatuses are built for specific SOC devices, then testing accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The test system achieves universality by implementing a reconfigurable protocol engine that can be programmed with different protocol specifications for various SOC devices, allowing a single test apparatus to accurately test multiple device types through software configuration rather than custom hardware for each device
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by loading different protocol specification sets that define timing requirements, signal configurations, and test procedures for different device types, enabling the same physical apparatus to adapt its behavior to match the specific requirements of each SOC device being tested
3Reliability
If multiple separate testing methods are used for individual SOC functions, then testing completeness improves, but test time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple separate testing methods into a unified test operation by implementing a protocol engine that coordinates stimulus signals and response capture across multiple device functions simultaneously, allowing comprehensive testing of interconnected functions like memory controllers and processors in a single integrated test sequence rather than separate tests
Data Source
AI summary
In some implementations, a method for testing is provided, which includes simulating a functional operational environment for a first type device-under-test with a tester. This includes recognizing a non-deterministic response signal having a predetermined protocol, receiving the non-deterministic response signal from the first type device-under-test, ascertaining an expected stimulus signal to be transferred to the first type device-under-test from the non-deterministic response signal based on the predetermined protocol, and initiating transmission of the expected stimulus signal to the first type device-under-test. The method further includes simulating a functional operational environment for a second type device-under-test with the tester after testing the first type device-under-test.