Introduction
This course is designed to introduce students to testing of digital circuits.
The course will familiarize students with
existing techniques in VLSI design. After a gentle introduction to how design errors or manufacturing
errors happen in the VLSI flow, the course teaches how to test a chip for its expected functionality.
The course will gently straddle into both EE and CSE domains. Manufacturing defects and faults will be abstracted
as CS problems and students will learn algorithms to test a chip systematically. The course also teaches how designs can be made testable and various methods by which a circuit can be made more testable.
Exposure to VLSI design is not assumed. Students are expected to have a good understanding of digital circuits. Exposure to data structures and algorithms is desired.
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Logistics
- Course Instructor
- Shankar Balachandran :: BSB 349
- TAs
-
Sasidhar Koti and Mustafa Shake
- Course Timings
- The class will meet 4 times a week(M @ 10, T @ 9, W @ 8 and F @ 12, Venue: CS 34). Industrial lectures and invited talks by other
academicians will be arranged from time to time. Such lectures will supplement the material that is
taught in the course.
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Policies
- All classes will be conducted as per the institute regulations.
- All students must have Unix computer accounts. Extensive computer work will be
required for programming assignments.
- Homework assignments will be assigned regularly once every 3-4 classes.
- Students can discuss problems but copying is strictly prohibited. All
assignments must be individual works unless stated explicitly by the instructor. Cheating in assignments/exams/projects
will be dealt with very seriously.
- Assignments are due in the first 30 minutes of the class after which it is
considered late. Students can turn in homeworks within a day after that for 75%
credit. Submissions later than that get 0 credit.
- Assignments will be graded within a week. Graded work must be disputed
within 10 days after it is returned to the students.
- Special requests must be made well ahead of time. Explicit permission of the
instructor will be required for such cases.
- Regular attendance is recommended. Quizzes will not be given again. Consult
the class web page frequently for new announcements.
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References
The class notes are available in the ::Notes:: section. Links to
software manuals, free and shareware software tools that are useful for the coursework and all
reference books are listed in the ::Resources:: section.