Accellera Systems Initiative is an independent, not-for profit organization dedicated to create, support, promote, and advance system-level design, modeling, and verification standards for use by the worldwide electronics industry. We are composed of a broad range of members that fully support the work of our technical committee to develop technology standards that are balanced, open, and benefit the worldwide electronics industry. Leading companies and semiconductor manufacturers around the world are using our electronic design automation (EDA) and intellectual property (IP) standards in a wide range of projects in numerous application areas to develop consumer, mobile, wireless, automotive, and other “smart” electronic devices. Through an ongoing partnership with the IEEE, standards and technical implementations developed by Accellera Systems Initiative are contributed to the IEEE for formal standardization and ongoing governance.
Vikas Sachdeva, Director of Product Strategy and Business Development at Real Intent
Introduction
Glitches are a common phenomenon in chip design, often deemed inconsequential due to their occurrence on synchronous paths, where Static Timing Analysis (STA) effectively mitigates them. However, specific scenarios within the chip design flow remain critically vulnerable to glitches, potentially causing catastrophic failures at the silicon level. These critical scenarios include clock domain crossing paths, interfaces between analog and digital domains, reset and clock paths, Design for Testability (DFT) paths, and paths spanning across power domains. Traditional methodologies struggle to detect and address glitches across such diverse scenarios comprehensively. This workshop introduces a holistic static methodology to achieve a thorough glitch signoff.
Summary of the content of the workshop
The session begins by delineating the glitch phenomenon, followed by a discussion on the existing chip design flow's limitations, which may overlook glitch issues, leading to silicon failures. The workshop will showcase actual glitch-induced design failures encountered by Real Intent's team, including:
Glitches in asynchronous clock domain paths
Glitches in reset paths
Glitches in synchronous multi-cycle paths
Glitches affecting DFT paths
Glitches in power domain crossing paths and isolation signals
Glitches at the digital-to-analog interfaces
We will provide a comprehensive analysis of these glitch types through detailed block diagrams, elucidating the identification, verification, and resolution processes for each glitch type. Drawing from these examples, we will develop a methodological framework that ensures a thorough glitch signoff.
Furthermore, the session will detail a signoff workflow that integrates static and formal analysis techniques to achieve a robust glitch pathway signoff.
Concluding with a compilation of Static Signoff best practices derived from industry insights and experiences, this workshop aims to empower participants to elevate verification practices within their organizations.
Intended Audience
This workshop is tailored for RTL Designers, Verification Engineers, SoC Designers, Chip Architects, and professionals involved in Clocks and Resets design and architecture, seeking to enhance their verification methodologies against glitches.
By attending, participants will gain invaluable insights into glitch analysis and signoff strategies, enriching the verification standards and practices in their respective fields.