10.2
Localization of a Complex RF SOC Failure By Combining ATPG and Application Testing
Localization of a Complex RF SOC Failure By Combining ATPG and Application Testing
Monday, November 4, 2013
The Tech Museum
Summary:
The failure diagnostic process in deep submicron system on a chip (SOC) is becoming increasing difficult, as it has limited I/O accessibility but the added complexity means the observed fault could be related to several functional blocks. Therefore, FA of SOC has to not only consider a localized hardware fault but also investigate the impact of errors occurring in other related hardware blocks, firmware, or even application software. This paper initially explores the need of full Bluetooth (BT) application test, in addition to the commercially available third party BT tester, to confirm a radio frequency (RF) communication failure. Then, root cause of the failure was traced back to a digital fault in the encryption hardware, by utilizing an ATPG diagnostic tool, and further correlated to a physical location. The cause of failure and the benefit of using transitional scan pattern are also discussed.
The failure diagnostic process in deep submicron system on a chip (SOC) is becoming increasing difficult, as it has limited I/O accessibility but the added complexity means the observed fault could be related to several functional blocks. Therefore, FA of SOC has to not only consider a localized hardware fault but also investigate the impact of errors occurring in other related hardware blocks, firmware, or even application software. This paper initially explores the need of full Bluetooth (BT) application test, in addition to the commercially available third party BT tester, to confirm a radio frequency (RF) communication failure. Then, root cause of the failure was traced back to a digital fault in the encryption hardware, by utilizing an ATPG diagnostic tool, and further correlated to a physical location. The cause of failure and the benefit of using transitional scan pattern are also discussed.