Soc Integration

SoC Integration

Purpose

Plan and review SoC-level integration covering bus fabric topology, memory map allocation, IP block qualification, interrupt routing, DFT strategy, and production test readiness.

Scope Constraints

Reviews SoC architecture documents, IP datasheets, register maps, and DFT specifications. Does not modify design files or execute EDA tools. Does not perform physical design.

Inputs

• SoC architecture block diagram and IP list
• Bus protocol requirements (AMBA AHB, AXI4, AXI4-Lite, APB)
• Memory map and address space allocation
• IP blocks to integrate with their interface specifications
• DFT and production test requirements

Input Sanitization

No user-provided values are used in commands or file paths. All inputs are treated as read-only analysis targets.

Procedure

Progress Checklist

• Step 1: Define bus fabric topology
• Step 2: Allocate memory map
• Step 3: Plan IP qualification
• Step 4: Design interrupt architecture
• Step 5: Plan DFT strategy
• Step 6: Production test readiness

Step 1: Define Bus Fabric Topology

• Select bus protocols per performance tier (AXI4 for high-bandwidth, APB for config).
• Define interconnect topology: crossbar, ring, hierarchical bridge.
• Specify arbitration policy per master (fixed priority, round-robin, weighted).
• Plan outstanding transaction support and ID width.
• Define QoS parameters for latency-sensitive paths.

Step 2: Allocate Memory Map

• Assign address ranges to each peripheral and memory region.
• Verify no address overlap and document reserved regions.
• Define secure vs non-secure address space partitioning.
• Plan boot address mapping and remapping.
• Document register map for each IP block (base address, register offsets, field definitions).

Step 3: Plan IP Qualification

• Define IP integration checklist per block: interface compliance, clock/reset, documentation.
• Verify IP protocol compliance (AMBA protocol checker assertions).
• Check clock domain requirements and CDC interfaces.
• Verify reset requirements (async/sync, reset ordering).
• Confirm silicon-proven status or required validation level.

Step 4: Design Interrupt Architecture

• Define interrupt controller topology (centralized GIC, distributed).
• Map interrupt sources to controller inputs with priority assignments.
• Specify edge vs level sensitivity per interrupt.
• Plan interrupt routing for multi-core configurations.
• Verify interrupt latency budget from source to handler.

Step 5: Plan DFT Strategy

• Define scan architecture: full scan, compressed scan (DFTMAX, EDT).
• Plan memory BIST for all embedded memories.
• Specify JTAG/boundary scan (IEEE 1149.1) implementation.
• Define ATPG fault coverage targets (stuck-at >98%, transition >95%).
• Plan test mode control and isolation.
• Define analog/mixed-signal test access (if applicable).

Step 6: Production Test Readiness

• Define production test flow: wafer sort, package test, system-level test.
• Specify test time budget per die.
• Plan for design-for-debug: trace ports, performance counters, embedded logic analyzers.
• Define die ID and fusing strategy.
• Document known-good-die (KGD) criteria.

Compaction resilience: If context was lost, re-read the Inputs section for the SoC under integration, check the Progress Checklist, then resume from the earliest incomplete step.

Output Format

Integration Status Matrix

Handoff

• Hand off to chip-design-flow for physical implementation of the integrated SoC.
• Hand off to verification-methodology for SoC-level verification planning.
• Hand off to forge/rtl-security-review for security audit of bus fabric and access controls.

Quality Checks

• Bus fabric topology defined with protocol selection justified
• Memory map complete with no address overlaps
• All IP blocks qualified against integration checklist
• Interrupt architecture documented with priorities
• DFT strategy covers scan, BIST, and ATPG targets
• Production test flow and time budget defined

Evolution Notes