This dissertation presents an integrated high-level computer-aided design (CAD) environment, the VAR (VHDL-based Array Reconfiguration) system, for the tasks of design, diagnosis, reconfiguration, simulation, and evaluation in a defect tolerant VLSI/WSI (Wafer Scale Integration) parallel architecture modeled by VHDL. Four issues in the VAR system are studied: (1) the development of a CAD framework for reconfigurable architectures, (2) the development of an array model, and its VHDL description and simulation, (3) the development of efficient fault diagnosis techniques, and (4) the development of a systematic method for evaluating architectures and yield. The first issue describes the modules in the CAD framework and their functionalities. The second issue addresses the hierarchical VHDL description and simulation of the array model, and the detailed designs of its components. The third issue proposes two fault diagnosis algorithms based on the parallel partition approach and the self-comparison approach respectively, and an optimal group diagnosis procedure. These fault diagnosis techniques all have the contribution of reducing testing time significantly under different application scenarios. The fourth issue depicts a complete set of figures of merits for quantitative architecture and yield evaluation. Although an easily diagnosable and reconfigurable two-dimensional defect tolerant array is used as an example to illustrate the methodology of VAR, the VAR environment can be equally applied to other parallel architectures. VAR allows the designers to study and evaluate fault diagnosis and reconfiguration algorithms by inserting faults, which are generated according to actual manufacturing yield data, into the array and then locating the faulty elements as well as simulating the reconfiguration process. Thus, VAR can assist the designers in evaluating different combinations of fault patterns, fault diagnosis and reconfiguration techniques, and reconfigurable architectures through the figures of merit with aim at architectural improvements. Extensive simulation and evaluation have been performed to demonstrate and support the effectiveness of VAR. The results from this research can drive the applications of large area VLSI or WSI closer to reality and result in producing low cost and high yield parallel architectures.
展开▼
