2011 Volume E94.C Issue 6 Pages 1016-1023
A diagnosis testbench of analog IP cores characterizes their coupling strengths against on-chip environmental disturbances, specifically with regard to substrate voltage variations. The testbench incorporates multi-tone digital noise generators and a precision waveform capture with multiple probing channels. A prototype test bench fabricated in a 90-nm CMOS technology demonstrates the diagnosis of substrate coupling up to 400MHz with dynamic range of more than 60dB. The coefficients of noise propagation as well as noise coupling on a silicon substrate are quantitatively derived for analog IP cores processed in a target technology, and further linked with noise awared EDA tooling for the successful adoption of such IP cores in SoC integration.