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Automated Testing of P2's

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  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    The glitch. No problem, sounds like the respin is going to be a lot cheaper than I first imagined.

  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    Cluso99 wrote: »
    Does this mean ON don’t need to redo the verilog? ie it’s only a change to those outer ring parts and that can be done without other changes?
    I presume the answer is yes, and that should be a simple and quick respin. And the speed you’re getting will stay!

    Right. No need to resynthesize. We just need to add these guardbars to prevent latch-up.
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    edited 2019-08-28 08:54
    Chip,
    Regarding the concern about PLL speed. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the PLL causing the limit. My testing of the v1 silicon indicates the PLL can go faster in that design than even the top sysclock frequency you were getting on the v2 silicon. My conclusion is the sysclock speed limit is the core logic/RAM. Same as v1 silicon. You got a small sysclock increase over v1 just because lower wattage.

    And you have already tweaked the PLL speed for the v2 silicon. I posted a link a while back where you stated so.

  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    edited 2019-08-28 09:07
    Here's your reconfirmed post about modifying the PLL - https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/comment/1475336/#Comment_1475336

    I've proven the PLL can go faster than 390 MHz, even on v1 silicon, by using XDIVP = 2 (%PPPP = 0). This way the sysclock is half the PLL and therefore keeps the core logic from limiting the measurement.
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,140
    cgracey wrote: »
    If all pins on the chip are floating and VDD starts to rise from 0V, where is all that current flowing? By the way, the 65% decay period on that current spike is about 10us. That 75mA is flowing ...

    470nF and a peak dV slope of 2V in 12.5us, will give a peak current of ~75mA.


  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    evanh wrote: »
    Here's your reconfirmed post about modifying the PLL - https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/comment/1475336/#Comment_1475336

    I've proven the PLL can go faster than 390 MHz, even on v1 silicon, by using XDIVP = 2 (%PPPP = 0). This way the sysclock is half the PLL and therefore keeps the core logic from limiting the measurement.

    Thanks. Here it is:
    I remember changing the VCO inverters' gate lengths while I was editing the layout, before I turned it over to ON Semi. Later, they massaged the layout to work with their tools and I had them change the filter resistor settings, which improved the PLL in the new silicon. I need to get the layout database from them so I'll have the latest layout on my end.

    Anyway, I can give the PLL impossibly-high-frequency settings and it goes as fast as it can and becomes temperature dependent, since it can't lock. This makes me think that the VCO divider is faster than the VCO, which is better than the opposite, since things top out safely.

    I wasn't clear, at all. Those VCO inverters' gate lengths were changed BEFORE the v1 silicon, while the PLL filter resistor settings were changed before the v2 silicon. So, the VCO inverters are the same as they've ever been. Sorry about that.
  • @cgracey Would the "re-work" at OnSemi allow for the ROM code to be updated, without additional change/cost ?

    It doesn't sound like it does, but I will naively ask anyway! Reason being... I thought Cluso had mentioned a while back, that there was a final version of the ROM that didn't quite make the deadline before the last spin. Something to do with improving the way a certain SD card IO gets released, so that Flash can be accessed on the same bus without a power-cycle.
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,140
    cgracey wrote: »
    ... this change they are going to make will probably only involve metal1 (m1), among all the metal layers, so not that much will be possible.

    If it is that simple, and a known issue, you sort of wonder why there are not DRC checks to flag this ? - and even semi automated adding guardbars/rings ?

  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    jmg wrote: »
    cgracey wrote: »
    If all pins on the chip are floating and VDD starts to rise from 0V, where is all that current flowing? By the way, the 65% decay period on that current spike is about 10us. That 75mA is flowing ...

    470nF and a peak dV slope of 2V in 12.5us, will give a peak current of ~75mA.


    Jmg, you once figured out about what the total nodal (gate) capacitance on the chip was, based on the first silicon. I think you used P = F*C*V^2. What capacitive value did you arrive at?

    But you can see that 75mA surge starts when VDD=0 volts. That doesn't make sense to me. I would think the charging current would look like a gentle hump that rises and then falls.
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    edited 2019-08-28 09:35
    evanh wrote: »
    Chip,
    Regarding the concern about PLL speed. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the PLL causing the limit. My testing of the v1 silicon indicates the PLL can go faster in that design than even the top sysclock frequency you were getting on the v2 silicon. My conclusion is the sysclock speed limit is the core logic/RAM. Same as v1 silicon. You got a small sysclock increase over v1 just because lower wattage.

    And you have already tweaked the PLL speed for the v2 silicon. I posted a link a while back where you stated so.

    Here is the speed test I use:
    dat	org
    
    loop	drvnot	#0		'toggle P0 at 1/1000th the clock frequency
    	waitx	#500-8
    	jmp	#loop
    

    You can set the PLL to an impossibly high speed and it tops out around 390MHz on the new silicon, as evidenced by the non-locked, drifting, 390KHz observed on P0 using this program. The HUBSET instructions are missing, as you see.
  • jmgjmg Posts: 15,140
    cgracey wrote: »
    Jmg, you once figured out about what the total nodal (gate) capacitance on the chip was, based on the first silicon. I think you used P = F*C*V^2. What capacitive value did you arrive at?
    The equivalent Cpd of the ES1 silicon was in the order of 1.6nF for the clock trees.
    cgracey wrote: »
    But you can see that 75mA surge starts when VDD=0 volts. That doesn't make sense to me. I would think the charging current would look like a gentle hump that rises and then falls.

    Current is set by the slope viz i = C*dV/dT, so it will be a fast step to some value set by CL, and Slew, and then as slew falls, so too does the current.
    They may simply have a total ballpark of ~470nF decoupling on the test head. (in which case it will not change much with empty socket)

  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    jmg wrote: »
    cgracey wrote: »
    Jmg, you once figured out about what the total nodal (gate) capacitance on the chip was, based on the first silicon. I think you used P = F*C*V^2. What capacitive value did you arrive at?
    The equivalent Cpd of the ES1 silicon was in the order of 1.6nF for the clock trees.
    cgracey wrote: »
    But you can see that 75mA surge starts when VDD=0 volts. That doesn't make sense to me. I would think the charging current would look like a gentle hump that rises and then falls.

    Current is set by the slope viz i = C*dV/dT, so it will be a fast step to some value set by CL, and Slew, and then as slew falls, so too does the current.
    They may simply have a total ballpark of ~470nF decoupling on the test head. (in which case it will not change much with empty socket)

    Ay, ay, ay! I see what you are saying. Current is C times the slope of the voltage. I just did a simulation to show this, too. That makes sense now. Thanks for explaining that. I've been asking ON for a week to explain why those current spikes are there, but now I see they are just the bypass caps on the test board. Kind of embarrassing.
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    cgracey wrote: »
    I wasn't clear, at all. Those VCO inverters' gate lengths were changed BEFORE the v1 silicon, while the PLL filter resistor settings were changed before the v2 silicon. So, the VCO inverters are the same as they've ever been. Sorry about that.

    The resistors don't affect PLL speed?
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    edited 2019-08-28 10:44
    Potential top speed, rather.

    PS: I've now used your code and got a result of 404 MHz (and dropping to 402 MHz as it heats) for the max PLL frequency on the v1 silicon.

    Here's the full source:
    dat	org
    
    '		         /2        x44   /4       (20 MHz crystal, 440 MHz PLL, 110 MHz sysclock)
    	hubset	##%1_000001_0000101011_0001_10_00
    	waitx	##20_000_000/10
    	hubset	##%1_000001_0000101011_0001_10_11
    
    
    loop	drvnot	#0		'toggle P0 at 1/1000th the PLL frequency (1/125th clock frequency)
    	waitx	#125-8
    	jmp	#loop
    
    
    EDIT: Corrected the 100 ms pause.
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    edited 2019-08-28 10:46
    evanh wrote: »
    cgracey wrote: »
    I wasn't clear, at all. Those VCO inverters' gate lengths were changed BEFORE the v1 silicon, while the PLL filter resistor settings were changed before the v2 silicon. So, the VCO inverters are the same as they've ever been. Sorry about that.

    The resistors don't affect PLL speed?

    No. They affected the PLL 2nd-order RC filter that enables the PLL to lock.
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,066
    VonSzarvas wrote: »
    @cgracey Would the "re-work" at OnSemi allow for the ROM code to be updated, without additional change/cost ?

    It doesn't sound like it does, but I will naively ask anyway! Reason being... I thought Cluso had mentioned a while back, that there was a final version of the ROM that didn't quite make the deadline before the last spin. Something to do with improving the way a certain SD card IO gets released, so that Flash can be accessed on the same bus without a power-cycle.

    IIRC I fixed all but one hole where it could escape the foolproof release of DO. I don’t think it’s important.
    From what i recall, the ROM is not a mask layer so changing is not a cheap solution.
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    Cluso99 wrote: »
    VonSzarvas wrote: »
    @cgracey Would the "re-work" at OnSemi allow for the ROM code to be updated, without additional change/cost ?

    It doesn't sound like it does, but I will naively ask anyway! Reason being... I thought Cluso had mentioned a while back, that there was a final version of the ROM that didn't quite make the deadline before the last spin. Something to do with improving the way a certain SD card IO gets released, so that Flash can be accessed on the same bus without a power-cycle.

    IIRC I fixed all but one hole where it could escape the foolproof release of DO. I don’t think it’s important.
    From what i recall, the ROM is not a mask layer so changing is not a cheap solution.

    When I find out which layers are changing, I'll post it.
  • Hi Chip,

    Will the guard rings around M1 and M4 be redesigned?

    Anyway, this is an important find.

    Kind regards, Samuel Lourenço
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    samuell wrote: »
    Hi Chip,

    Will the guard rings around M1 and M4 be redesigned?

    Anyway, this is an important find.

    Kind regards, Samuel Lourenço

    They don't think it's necessary. Only a guardband (not even a guardring) separating some N-wells is their recommendation.
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    Here's the thermal pad temperatures for max PLL frequency of v1 silicon:
    400 MHz  =  28 oC
    390 MHz  =  42 oC
    380 MHz  =  55 oC
    370 MHz  =  69 oC
    
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    evanh wrote: »
    Here's the thermal pad temperatures for max PLL frequency of v1 silicon:
    400 MHz  =  28 oC
    390 MHz  =  42 oC
    380 MHz  =  55 oC
    370 MHz  =  69 oC
    

    At about every ~14 C increase, it goes 10MHz slower.
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    It might be closer to 13 oC. I've just done a slow run up from 1 oC and it started at around 424 MHz crossing 420 MHz at 4 oC and 410 MHz at 16 oC.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 13,797
    "substrate resistivity, which varies by ... location on the wafer."

    Is this a real thing? I think they might have made this part up...
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    Rayman wrote: »
    "substrate resistivity, which varies by ... location on the wafer."

    Is this a real thing? I think they might have made this part up...

    Well, it can vary by location on the wafer. Maybe it doesn't if the wafer is very consistent. I don't think they made it up. My gut feeling, anyway, is that they are straight shooters and pretty smart.
  • evanhevanh Posts: 15,126
    edited 2019-08-28 11:57
    I assume there a first blanket deep doping that makes the substrate. Unevenness in this doping will create variation in resistance even in what is a pure crystal. EDIT: Or maybe more accurately, imperfection in the surface polish will affect absorption speed/distribution of the doping gas.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 13,797
    If by "substrate", they mean the wafer that they started from, grown from melt, I've not heard of there being a variation in the resistivity... It's hard to imagine. I've only seen one number for the resistivity of a wafer... But, that was a long time ago and with small wafers...
  • cgracey wrote: »
    samuell wrote: »
    Hi Chip,

    Will the guard rings around M1 and M4 be redesigned?

    Anyway, this is an important find.

    Kind regards, Samuel Lourenço

    They don't think it's necessary. Only a guardband (not even a guardring) separating some N-wells is their recommendation.
    One can never be too cautious. Beau raised attention on a potential issue, that I'm hoping it doesn't turn out to be real. On the other hand, if the extra guard rings reduce the pin bandwidth, it is better to leave that option out.

    Kind regards, Samuel Lourenço
  • ErNaErNa Posts: 1,738
    Rayman wrote: »
    If by "substrate", they mean the wafer that they started from, grown from melt, I've not heard of there being a variation in the resistivity... It's hard to imagine. I've only seen one number for the resistivity of a wafer... But, that was a long time ago and with small wafers...

    As far as I know, the wafers are doped in the initial state... OK, google found: https://universitywafer.com/n-type-silicon.html it for me.
  • Chip,

    I have given my two cents already but ON semi saying "They don't think it's necessary" does not settle well with me. You don't plan a long trip without looking to see how much gas is in the car "thinking" you might have enough to get there do you? ... this is a long trip.

    When I was working for National Semiconductor, rings were always insisted upon over bars or strips because of fringing effects that can occur. One ring isn't enough either since you can't completely isolate the PNPN or NPNP parasitic SCR device that occurs with a simple inverter structure. You must instantiate a minimum of two rings with ESD devices. I worked side by side with a guy who was the lead ESD design engineer and might have picked up a thing or two.

    When you and I sat down with the recommended 180nm TSMC design rules for ESD structures and ironed out what was to be implemented, we had applied the three structures I mentioned in an earlier post. Even if you had to re-do everything, the layout model we created would have been a good guideline to follow.

    Either way, with rings or bars, you will need more than just M1 in the respin to correct the problem. ... M1, Contacts, NWELL, P+, and N+
  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,133
    Beau, I agree that full rings would be optimal. I suppose ON Semi thinks that, too, but they are trying to see if this can be done economically.

    They have some carreer ESD guys on staff that have been through lots of trials and errors in developing their own I/O libraries. So, they know what they can get away with.

    I've asked, but haven't gotten word back, yet, about how many reticles they are thinking need to rebuilt.

    We'll hear something soon.

    They also need to complete ESD testing on the first silicon, since they have the full test suite for that version working. That should be done before we call things final.
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