Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE'05) Volume 1
On-Chip Multi-Channel Waveform Monitoring for Diagnostics of Mixed-Signal VLSI Circuits
Munich, Germany
March 07-March 11
ISBN: 0-7695-2288-2
Multi-channel waveform monitoring technique enhances built-in test and diagnostic capability of mixed-signal VLSI circuits. An 8-channel prototype system incorporates adaptive sample time generation with a 10-bit variable step delay generator and algorithmic digitization with a 10-bit incremental reference voltage generator. The prototype in a 0.18-μm CMOS technology demonstrated on-chip waveform acquisition at 40-ps and 200-μV resolutions. The waveforms were as accurate as those by an off-chip measurement technique, while more than 95% reduction of the waste time in waveform monitoring was achieved. The area of 700μm x 600μm was occupied by a single waveform acquisition kernel that was shared with 8 front-end modules of 60μm x 200μm each. The developed on-chip multi-channel waveform monitoring technique is waveform accurate, area efficient, and low cost, which are all requisite factors for diagnosing methodology toward mixed analog and digital signal integrity in a systems-on-a-chip era.
Citation:
Koichiro Noguchi, Makoto Nagata, "On-Chip Multi-Channel Waveform Monitoring for Diagnostics of Mixed-Signal VLSI Circuits," date, vol. 1, pp.146-151, Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE'05) Volume 1, 2005