“Mixed-Signal Design Verification, an RF-SOC approach”

by Jesse E. Chen and Jonathan B. David, Qualcomm

Presentation available in pdf

BMAS 2010 conference paper (pdf)

Abstract: With 80% of Industry SOC projects containing 20%+ Mixed-Signal content, and 70% of Industry SOC re-spin issues being AMS in nature, (http://eda360insider.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/70-of-re-spin-issues-are-ams-in-nature-how-mixed-signal-design-can-mess-up-a-perfectly-good-soc/) design verification for SOC’s must include a mixed-signal component, especially if the mixed-signal content includes a Radio. The Qualcomm RF/Analog Verification team will present 2 recently published papers in this arena, 1 describing the modeling methodology used at Qualcomm, the other presenting an example of the methodology as applied to the Mixer circuit in a typical receiver path. Use of this methodology eliminates most of the AMS functional issues, so that most remaining re-spins are for AMS/RF parametric issues only, allowing a production ramp on the second spin, rather than the third or fourth.

Bio: Jesse Chen heads up the RF/Mixed-Signal Verification teams for the RFA department in Qualcomm Santa Clara. A Bay-Area native, Jess has a BA (Physics & Math) from Berkeley, MSEE from SJSU, MSME from Santa Clara, and earned the Engineer, EE from Stanford. When Jess is not working, you will either find him commuting home on his Recumbent Bicycle, leading the Bay Area Trail Stompers on a hike, or working on his ham radios (WB6MCC), when he’s not off visiting his grandkids. Prior to joining Qualcomm, Jess has worked at Lockheed, Cadence, RFMD, RFco, and Berkana Wireless.

Jonathan David is a Mixed Signal Verification Engineer at Qualcomm RFA in Santa Clara. Jonathan earned his BSEE from Oregon State, and his SEE from the University of Maryland, College Park. When schedules permit he bikes to work, volunteers with the IEEE (CAS and GOLD groups) and is an avid reader, especially of Science Fiction. Prior to joining Jess at Qualcomm, Jonathan worked at Westinghouse (Baltimore), Cadence, and Scintera Networks.