Monte Carlo based post-silicon verification considering automotive application variances

Abstract

In this paper we present a fully automated approach to consider device-to-device variances of automotive power applications during post-silicon verification. Due to the high complexity of target applications for automotive smart power microelectronics, it is not sufficient to affirm compliance to their specification. Car manufacturers therefore push for more extensive application robustness beyond classical methods. To cope with this requirement a FPGA platform is used to evaluate physical equations of automotive power application components in real-time together with a dynamic power amplifier to interface the digital FPGA outputs to the analog world. The functionality and the advantage of this approach is evaluated based on several Monte Carlo experiments by using an Advanced Front Lighting system as an example.