BSDL service survey draws significant response

ASSET’s survey over the user base of the free, web-based BSDL Validation Service (http://www.asset-intertech.com/bsdl_service/) turned up some valuable information which will used to make enhancements to the service in the future.

For example, test pattern generation is an important feature of the service. Almost 30 percent of the users who responded to the survey said they generate test patterns from the service itself while another 44 percent said they generate test patterns by other means.

A vast majority of the respondents indicated they preferred Verilog as the vector testbench format that is output from the service. Most users said they would like the BSDL service to output a standalone Verilog testbench where the BSDL file, netlist of essential JTAG circuitry and signal mapping data were provided by the user, but almost a third of the respondents expressed some level of concern about uploading design data to the service.

The responses varied widely when the survey asked for an approximation of the costs associated with converting the service’s PCF test vector format to another format. Around 30 percent indicated converting to another format came at no cost to them while another 30 percent estimated that the conversion process cost more than $1,000.

The survey also tried to gauge interest in JTAG-related and emerging standards. For instance, more than 45 percent of respondents said they were working with chips that complied with the IEEE 1149.6 standard for testing high-speed AC coupled buses.

Several standards that are still being developed, the IEEE P1687 Internal JTAG standard for managing embedded instruments and the IEEE P1149.7 standard for a two-wire boundary-scan interface, garnered a surprising level of interest from survey respondents. In fact, close to 10 percent of respondents said they were either already using these standards or they anticipated they would be using them in the foreseeable future.

And last but not least, a random drawing of survey participants resulted in Ricky Mak of IDT in California winning the 32 GB iPod touch. Thanks to everyone for their participation.