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High-Speed Digital Test & Measurement: Chris Allen (Callen@eecs - Ku.edu)
High-Speed Digital Test & Measurement: Chris Allen (Callen@eecs - Ku.edu)
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Topics
Test equipment
Oscilloscope characteristics
Oscilloscope probes
Passive probes
Active probes
Probe inductance from ground lead
Test procedures
Measuring noise margin
Measuring timing margin
Sensitivity to supply voltage variations
Sensitivity to temperature variations
Test vectors
Future trends
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Test equipment
Oscilloscope characteristics
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Test equipment
Scope probe characteristics
The model for the probe includes an input capacitance in parallel
with a high-value resistance, R1 (9 M) and an inductive ground
lead.
The scope is modeled as a high-value resistor, R2, in parallel with an
input capacitance, C2.
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Test equipment
Scope probe characteristics
At DC this arrangement produces a 10x attenuation by the
voltage divider R2/(R1 + R2).
At DC the impedance of the probe/scope is
|Zmeas| = 10 M.
Simplified equivalent circuit
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Test equipment
Probe inductance from ground lead
Oscilloscope measurements generally require a ground connection
as a voltage reference.
Typical scope probes have a ground lead wire
for signal reference.
This ground lead has significant inductance (100s of nH) and can act
as an antenna (both radiating signals as well as coupling ambient
RF signals into the measurement).
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Design for test
Special probing fixtures
Special test points can also be incorporated into the board design to
ease the probing of high-speed signals.
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Test procedures
Once a digital circuit is functioning, it is useful to determine
its operating margin
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Test procedures
Noise margin / reflection testing
By introducing additional noise at various nodes in the system,
signals with noise sensitivity can be identified.
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Test procedures
Timing testing
By varying the relative timing of the clock and data signals, the timing
margin can be estimated.
Use of a coaxial delay line
select a clock or remove a portion insert a short
data line to of the line andsegment of
be tested expose the copper coaxial line
Demonstrates
usefulness of
ground area
on surface
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Test procedures
Testing tolerance to varying supply voltages, VEE, VTT
Test to find out how sensitive your design is to voltage variations,
to establish the supply voltage tolerances.
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Test procedures
Testing tolerance to varying temperature
Variations in ambient temperature can change the device
temperature which may result in significant propagation delay
changes.
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Test procedures
Test vectors
At the device level, board level, or system level comprehensive
testing requires exercising all circuit functions at speed,
simultaneously.
The test vectors bring the circuit or system to a known state (e.g.,
reset, or all 0s) and then steps through all states of interest.
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Test procedures
Test vectors
Such testing brings together all factors affecting performance
including timing, crosstalk, EMI, noise on the power and ground.
Such testing is often expensive and limited.
It typically involves an extensive variety of test equipment,
programming, and planning.
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Future trends
Application-driven advances
Evolutionary and revolutionary advances require ever-increasing data
rates and computational throughput in smaller packages while
consuming less power.
Leading applications include:
computing (gaming consoles, super computers)
sensors (fine resolution video, radar, RFID)
wireless communication
Emerging technologies
energy harvesting (power derived from local environment)
optical interconnects die-to-die (optical transmitters/receivers integrated into die)
may involve holographic reflectors or optically transparent substrates
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