Fourth Asian Test Symposium (ATS'95)
Metastability evaluation method by propagation delay distribution measurement
Bangalore, India
November 23-November 24
ISBN: 0-8186-7129-7
This paper suggests an experimental method for determining metastability properties based on deliberately inducing metastability in edge-triggered flip-flops. It offers the opportunity to analyze the impact of input signals time relationship on the output signal timing characteristics, using graphical and analytical representation of the propagation delay density distribution function. A new approach for counting the number of fault events, using the integrated propagation delay density distribution function is proposed. From the measured results, the flip-flop normal propagation delay and the resolution time constant are determined. Using the time search approach in provoking metastable behavior enables an accurate and repeatable statistical measurement, as well as automatic data acquisition of the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) characteristic. The method is applicable to a wide range of semiconductor flip-flops and latch devices, from discrete to more sophisticated LSI and VLSI technologies as: custom CMOS, ASIC, PLD. The results might be helpful in the design and testing of asynchronous combinatorial and sequential logic, as well as of complex architecture microsystems with a high clock frequencies.
Index Terms:
flip-flops; delays; data acquisition; logic design; VLSI; asynchronous circuits; fault diagnosis; logic testing; failure analysis; integrated circuit reliability; metastability; propagation delay distribution measurement; edge-triggered flip-flops; input signals time relationship; output signal timing characteristics; analytical representation; graphical representation; propagation delay density distribution function; fault events; integrated propagation delay density distribution function; flip-flop normal propagation delay; resolution time constant; PLD; statistical measurement; automatic data acquisition; complex architecture microsystems; MTBF; asynchronous logic; latch devices; reliability analysis; VLSI; custom CMOS
Citation:
B.M. Rogina, B. Vojnovic, "Metastability evaluation method by propagation delay distribution measurement," ats, pp.40, Fourth Asian Test Symposium (ATS'95), 1995