Shift-Left Principle for Faster Post-Silicon Validation: LPDDR4 Controller Bring-Up

The increasing demand for high-performance memory solutions in autonomous automotive systems has led to the widespread adoption of high-speed interfaces, such as, Low Power Double Data Rate 4 (LPDDR4) interfaces. The post- silicon validation (PSV) of LPDDR4 interface is a time- consuming and resource-intensive process and becomes the critical path for release to end-customer. This paper proposes a methodology to reduce the time and effort of PSV of a System- on-Chip with LPDDR4 memory controller by adopting the shift- left principle. PCB simulations and firmware verification were shifted left to pre-silicon phase and is performed in parallel with the SoC design. It is shown that 22% of effort is shifted from post-silicon to pre-silicon phase and another 15% effort is eliminated, thereby shortening the time to market by 37%.