Soliton's Tailored Solution for Validating MIPI I3C® Logic Translator

Read on to learn more about how Soliton helped a customer with their MIPI I3C^® logic translator validation by emulating both controller and target, saving time and capital, and providing tailored, accurate solutions for complex semiconductor validation challenges.

Increasingly sophisticated technology necessitates the need for more complex electronic systems, resulting in communication between components in a system, like sensors and controllers, becoming complex as well. This requires the integration of an increased number of components on a single PCB system and the addition of multiple devices to a single communication bus. However, in several cases, like the MIPI I3C^®, there is a limitation on the number of devices that can be connected on a single bus due to physical layer limitations.  To overcome this challenge, devices like Logic Translators are used, which provide the capability to isolate a group of devices and form a separate bus while bridging these devices to all the other devices in the main bus.   

One of our customers, a prominent semiconductor company, developed a MIPI I3C^® logic translator. Unlike the validation of a single MIPI I3C^® controller or target devices, where we can add a simple MIPI I3C^® emulator to test the specifications; the validation of a logic translator adds complexity since both the input and output ends must be validated simultaneously. As a result, the customer sought the expertise of Soliton and the capabilities of PVS to streamline and enhance the MIPI I3C^® validation of the logic translator. 

VALIDATION CHALLENGES

The logic translator added an additional layer of complication to the existing process of protocol compliance validation because the validation had to be conducted on both the input and output ends of the translator.  Complete validation of the translator required certain special test cases to be covered and a tool that could provide comprehensive coverage for the below-mentioned test cases. These conditions for the test cases were to:  

Protocol compliance validation is a critical step toward device validation. However, developing a custom solution for protocol compliance validation (in this case, for a translator) required additional time, expertise, and in-depth knowledge of the development stack.

This is where Soliton’s PVS comes into play.

SOLITON’S SOLUTION

Being scalable and flexible, Solitons’ MIPI I3C^® validation tools for target and controller provided a comprehensive solution. This solution, which can address the customer’s requirements, was built to emulate and validate the controller and target ports of the translator.  The customer was able to surpass the challenges with Soliton’s out-of-box solution as the architecture was simplified enough, eliminating the need for multiple devices connected to the station. 

Moreover, the combined tool emulated the controller and target at necessary instances and validated the logic translator thoroughly. With the simple architecture and powerful tools, the propagation delay was also measured with precision and accuracy. 

 Tangible Outcomes with PVS 

With Soliton’s Protocol Validation Solutions, the customer successfully performed MIPI I3C^® logic translator validation, achieving comprehensive compliance checks on both controller and target ends. This tailored solution saved time, expertise, and capital, ensuring accurate propagation delay checks and offering a complete approach to specific semiconductor communication challenges.