Accurate Emulation of AC and DC Loads can Speed Time to Market for Complex ASIC-Based Designs

The new adaptor option from LoadSlammer enables engineers to perform ac and dc tests and measurements on all the voltage rails of a complex ASIC-based design where the silicon would normally be by mounting a BGA substrate directly on to the target PCB. The LoadSlammer Adaptor option allows designers to emulate ac and dc loads and accurately measure the response of a target ASIC without the need for the silicon to be present.

Using a LoadSlammer Adaptor ahead of any silicon returning allows the design to be proved out ahead of the ASIC returning from the foundry. The evaluation and optimization of the power delivery system can be done without needing the target silicon. Silicon bring up now becomes focused on the chip, with minimal PCB system characterization needed as it can be performed ahead of time.

A lot of time can be wasted trying to accurately place probes and measure what the voltage is on the PCB of a design. The LoadSlammer Adaptor solves this and eliminates the conversation between engineering departments on whether the power design is satisfactory and meets specifications. On-chip/package decoupling, parasitics, and discrete implementations can all be implemented on the LoadSlammer Adaptor board for the most accurate load emulation.

Features like 3D sweep testing makes finding problems easier than ever.

LoadSlammer offers a series of "off the shelf" adaptors and the option to design and build custom ASIC adaptors. 1.00mm pitch down to 0.65mm, with a greater than 4000 ball count. These adaptors enable a wide range of complex testing and system optimization prior to the delivery of the actual ASIC, including:

• Capacitor optimization - Eliminate "spray and pray" capacitor placement.
• AC/DC tolerances - Steady State, Ripple, Load Line and transient measurements where it matters, where the silicon is. Maintaining signal integrity and not destroying the target silicon transistors is paramount.
• Exhaustive Transient Testing - Modern power controllers use sophisticated non linear firmware based algorithms. LoadSlammer Exhaustive 5D testing with "search and destroy" AI algorithms can identify key state-based errors with our infinite test vector generation.
• Efficiency - Combined with our automated efficiency wizard software, efficiency of the various system rails can be measured quickly and optimized. Inductor choices and switching frequencies can be understood with minimal interaction by engineers and technicians. Consistent test data.
• Large Signal Power Impedance - A real life understanding of network performance.

The LoadSlammer Adaptor costs $4,000 to $20,000. The price includes 5 adaptors and NRE cost to design the adaptor for a specific application. It is available in a variety of configurations including: pitches of 1mm, 0.8mm, and 0.65mm; maximum BGA grid size (and ball count) of 32×32 (1024), 45×45 (2025), 55×55 (3025), and 64×64 (4096); and 2 to 6 measurement rails.