DESIGN VIEW is the summary of the complete DESIGN SOLUTION contributed article, which begins on Page 2.
Heisenberg stated in his studies that the observer is no longer external and neutral, but rather part of the environment being observed. In other words, the mere act of measurement alters the observation. A similar perplexing situation exists when developing products with the latest microelectronic devices.
The increasing chip-integration levels that dominate today's electronic designs propel the problem. Though designers save size, power, and cost with shrinking geometries, they struggle with what's termed "vanishing visibility." In other words, higher integration levels tend to hide a chip's inner operations.
Conventional development tools can no longer handle the design and debug chores for products that use the newest digital signal processors and microcontrollers. A new trend is under way, however, that involves integrating on-chip debug facilities in an effort to reverse the loss of visibility. Also helping the visibility cause is a new class of tools from chip suppliers and tool vendors.
Nonetheless, every increase in system clock rates threatens the latest debug approaches. This article delves into visibility challenges facing designers, available tools, on-chip technologies that provide visibility, and what the future may hold.
Full article begins on Page 2