Characterizing WDT Subsystem of a Wi-Fi Controller in an Automobile Based on MIPS32 CPU Platform Across PVT

Abstract

Currently due to the increase in stress in the present lifestyle, there is a need for people to choose automated cars for transportation purpose. As a result, the controllers incorporated in the automobiles must be critically characterized to ensure the safety, security and comfort of the users. Initially, the chip is verified after the design level which is called verification. Then the design is fabricated into a Silicon which is referred as SoC. Post-Silicon validation is a critical characterization process in which the modules of the system are evaluated after the SoC is manufactured. The whole SoC consists of various Sub-modules among which WDT is one of the crucial and most common block found in all silicones. Yet validation of this module has to be done so as to guard the system from going into an hang-over due to some malfunction in hardware devices in the real-time environment or some software faults. This paper emphasizes the characterization of the watchdog timer in a Wi-Fi controller based on MIPS32 CPU platform across PVT. Hence the watchdog timer module is critically characterized across PVT to stress test the system and the obtained data logs are analyzed to form a comprehensive report.