'Functional abstraction' anticipates timing glitches

Article Abstract:

Functional abstraction is a new technique for determining if integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process variations will impact a digital IC's timing. The correct operation of an IC depends on accurate timing of numerous signals from multiple sources, with accounting for actual propagation delays. A minor variation in the manufacturing process can cause a skew in the timing that may cause the IC to malfunction. The problem is particularly complex in CMOS-based application specific ICs (ASICs) where p- and n-channel transistors are fabricated in separate processing steps. Functional abstraction involves developing an explicit global functional model of the IC from a structural model or schematic, usually in netlist form. Injection of different delay values in the schematic can give different output values that can indicate the range of viable IC functioning.

Integrated circuit fabrication, Product introduction, Forecasting, Analytical Techniques, Timing, New Technique, Functional Dependencies

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Don't be deceived by functional thread diameters

Article Abstract:

Care must be taken in distinguishing between functional-diameter (FD) size and pitch-diameter (PD) size in thread dimensions. PD size is the actual material diameter but FD is the apparent diameter which considers the deviations in thread form elements and characteristics. The Federal Standard H28/20B has three different levels of specifying thread-measurement methods depending on the applications.

Evaluation, Measurement, Physical measurements, Physical measurement, Screw-threads, Screw threads

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Thread-bare theories

Article Abstract:

Physicist Lee Smolin share his views about dangers facing research in physics.

Interview, Smolin, Lee

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