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Emulating and testing chips

November 27, 2002

Even coffee machines will soon begin to "think" for themselves. There is at least a clear trend emerging to equip all kinds of electrical devices with chips that offer special functions. It takes a considerable amount of time to develop such ASICs - application-specific integrated circuits. "From establishing initial contact with the customer to completing the prototypes can easily add up to one and a half years," says Holger Kappert, group manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS in Duisburg. "It can take even longer if the hardware and software developed at the same time by the customer ultimately do not work acceptably with the ASIC. A new chip design and additional production steps can extend development time almost indefinitely!" At the electronica fair in Munich, IMS researchers presented their SoC emulator, which is designed to prevent such time-consuming and repetitive cycles.

How does such a system work? In combination with specially designed software, the chip's functions can be tested on the system-on-chip emulator. The actual ASIC does not need to be physically complete for thorough testing to be carried out. By attaching the device to a computer, experts can see in which areas the chip functions as required and where there are shortcomings. This holds considerable advantages for the developers, as Kappert emphasizes: "Virtual testing, as well as the short time required to modify the embedded soft- and hardware of the chip, reduces the development time by some months. At the same time, the customers and developers can identify which functions must be expanded or simplified. Once again, this saves time, money and fraught nerves."

A word on just some of the system's features: The development software understands Java, which enables the ASIC's functions to be tested via the Internet from a remote location. The emulator is compatible with Windows, Unix and Linux - so it runs on practically any operating system installed in the diagnostic computer. The hardware ensures that tasks can be performed and displayed in real time. This capability does not exist for strictly software-based solutions, since they require more computer time than the ASIC needs to process the data. And finally, the emulator is outstandingly versatile: Users can freely configure the system as required, from the hardware through to the software display windows.

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