Minutes, IBIS Quality Committee

03 March 2015

11:00-12:00 EST (08:00-09:00 PST)

ROLL CALL

Ericsson:                           Anders Ekholm
Intel:                              Michael Mirmak
IO Methodology                    * Lance Wang
Signal Integrity Software         * Mike LaBonte
Teraspeed Labs:                   * Bob Ross

Everyone in attendance marked by *

NOTE: "AR" = Action Required.

-----------------------MINUTES ---------------------------
Mike LaBonte conducted the meeting.

Call for IBIS related patent disclosures:

- None

Call for opens:

- Mike: Has there been a reply regarding the IBISCHK development quote request?
- Bob: No, this is a concern.

ARs:

- Mike produce text files for each IBISCHK message that has no comment.
  - Not done.

- Mike recover percent format specifications in spreadsheet.
  - No new progress.

- Mike add comments to CMPNT, DLY, MSPEC sections.
  - No new progress.

- Lance add comments to EBD section.
  - No new progress.

- Bob add comments to CIRCUIT section.
  - No new progress.


Test Load and Data:

- Mike showed a compendium of selected meeting minutes from 2010 and 2011:
- Mike: These have our key discussions regarding External Test Load and Data.
  - Anders Ekholm first proposed the idea in October of 2010.

- Mike showed a presentation by Anders Ekholm
- Mike: Anders showed required test topologies.
  - This includes differential buffers.

- Mike showed [Test Load] and [Test Data] sections in the IBIS6 specification.
- Mike: IBIS-ISS would easily accommodate all of these.
- Bob: In IBIS-ISS we cannot have PWL tables.
- Mike: That was to keep it passive.
- Bob: IBIS-ISS might allow us to generalize Test_load_type.
- Lance: We could limit the IBIS-ISS circuit elements that are allowable.
  - That would simplify it.
- Mike: What elements would not be allowed?
- Lance: W element for example.
- Mike: IC vendors might use those in their test circuits.
- Bob: It could be just a recommendation to avoid them.
  - Some elements exacerbate tool differences.

- Mike: Could [External Circuit] be used for a test load?
  - We could define pins that are not really part of the package.
  - External circuits with buffers would be attached to these.
  - Test data would give the pin waveforms.
- Bob: Those are pads, not pins.
- Mike: Even better.

- Bob: IBIS6 page 123 has an example.
  - With [External Circuit] you have to look at the D_to_As and A_to_Ds to determine model type.
- Mike: We could have restrictions, those would not be used.
- Bob: That is adding complexity to an already complex feature.
  - You also might want to probe internal ports.
- Mike: It should be possible to bring those out in [External Circuit].
  - Anders' various configurations should be representable.
  - For example a diff pair talking to another diff pair through a channel.
- Bob: Anders' proposal has multiple test points.
  - This idea could also handle typ, min, max corners.
  - [External Model] is a top level keyword, so it becomes available.
- Mike: It is invoked by [Circuit Call] under [Component]
- Bob: We would need multiple waveforms if there are multiple probe points.
  - [Test Data] has rising_near, rising_far, etc.
- Mike: [Test Notes] would be needed to describe the tests.
- Bob: A tool would be needed to generate this.
- Lance: This idea might work out.

Next steps:

- Bob: We should focus on the IBISCHK6 User Guide before continuing this.

Meeting ended: 12:06

Next meeting March 10