A Laboratory for Integrating Digital Design and Test

随着数字电路复杂性的不断增加--例如，英特尔奔腾-P6处理器（1995年）有550万个晶体管，而80386（1989年）只有不到50万个--器件测试的成本也急剧增加。测试复杂性的增加已经将越来越多的测试责任转移到设计工程师身上。今天，许多测试问题必须在早期的设计阶段进行规划。本计画将介绍数位设计课程在测试时所遇到的各种问题及相关技巧。为了实现这一想法，该部门正在开发一个创新的实验室，通过动手实验将设计和测试联系起来。 测试与设计的整合是现代计算机工程专业本科生能力范围内的一个重要属性。因此，该项目通过使用一个配备计算机辅助设计工具和测试设施的实验室来满足这一新出现的需求。学生可以通过一组PLD（可编程逻辑器件）实现他们的ASIC（专用集成电路）设计，而无需等待IC制造。许多测试技术，如DFT（可测性设计）和BIST（内建自测试）必须在设计阶段由学生规划。将仿真数据转换为测试程序，并在ATE（自动测试设备）上对学生自己的设计进行实际测试，不仅可以提供实践经验，而且可以为他们提供数字系统设计的整体视角。 实验室基础设施能够作为一个整体满足设计和测试的需求。该设施每年可为100多名本科生提供数字系统领域的三门课程。该部门的方法和经验可以帮助其他ECE/CS课程为学生提供丰富的数字设计教育。

As the complexity of digital circuits increases continuously_the Intel Pentium-P6 processor (1995), for example, has 5.5 million transistors while the 80386 (1989) had less than one-half million_the cost of device testing has also increased sharply. The rising complexity of testing has shifted more and more of the testing responsibility toward the design engineer. Today, many of the testing issues must be planned within the earlier design phase. This project introduces the various issues and corresponding techniques employed in testing to digital design courses. To implement this idea, the department is developing an innovative laboratory for linking design and testing through hands-on experiments. The integration of testing with design is an important attribute within the range of abilities of a modern day undergraduate computer engineering student. Thus, the project addresses this emerging need through the use of a laboratory with a computer-assisted design (CAD) tools and testing facility. Students can implement their ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) designs through a set of PLDs (Programmable Logic Device) without the waiting period for IC fabrication. Many of the testing techniques such as DFT (Design for Testability) and BIST (Build-in-Self-Test) must be planned in the design phase by students. Converting the simulation data into test programs and performing the actual testing on ATE (Automatic Test Equipment) for students' own designs can not only offer hands-on experience, but also provide them an integral perspective of the design of digital systems. The laboratory infrastructure is capable of meeting the demands of design and test as an integral unit. This facility can provide three courses in the digital system area for more than 100 undergraduate students annually. This department's approach and experience can help other ECE/CS programs to offer an enriched education in digital design to their students.