Testing mixed signal SOCs

There are dozens of issues that will make the testing of mixed signal systems-on-a-chip (SOCs) difficult and costly. Many of these issues are the same ones that have been with the testing community for years. But there are a few testing issues that are either unique to mixed signal SOCs or at least are extremely exaggerated in these highly integrated designs. The problems fall into three basic categories: test development time, analog and mixed-signal performance, and production cost. These problems are briefly discussed.