An on-chip equivalent-time measurement system for high-speed signals

This thesis explores the design and implementation of an on-chip measurement system tailored for high-speed integrated circuits and systems. The focus of this research lies in overcoming the limitations posed by traditional off-chip measurement techniques by eliminating analog signal chains between a signal's genesis and the measurement equipment, and providing increased observability for on-chip signals. The proposed system employs an equivalent-time measurement methodology to address these challenges, providing an approach to accurately capture and digitize high-speed signals directly at the source. The significance of in situ measurement is underscored, particularly in the context of die-to-die communication signals, where accurate characterization requires faithful measurement of on-chip signals. By their nature, traditional measurement methodologies fail to achieve this, leading to inaccuracies in signal representation and, consequently, hindering the development and optimization of high-speed integrated circuits. The devised on-chip measurement system is composed of three key blocks: a programmable delay, a programmable voltage source, and a comparator. Leveraging these three components, the system facilitates measurements by sampling signals at programmable time and voltage coordinates from within the integrated circuit itself. This approach aims to mitigate the distortions introduced by off-chip measurements, providing a more faithful representation of the signal behavior in its native on-chip environment. The system's constituent parts have been verified and characterized at the transistor level and imperfections have been incorporated into corresponding behavioral models. The full system functionality has been verified at the behavioral level and post-processing of collected data enable average waveform and statistical eye diagram construction. The system has been designed using Intel's 22nm fin-FET technology.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Ng, Andrew C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hanumolu, Pavan K

• On-chip Measurement

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Andrew Ng

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124599

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F124599