10.6. Best Practices for FPGA Prototyping and Emulation

Try these first

1. 1.

   What advantage does starting early in the prototyping process provide?

   Hint

   Think about how time relates to cost.

2. 2.

   What does automating tests help improve?

   Hint

   Recall what automation reduces in manual processes.

3. 3.

   Why is it important to start prototyping early in the design cycle?

   • To increase cost later on
   • To catch issues sooner
   • To make the design more complex

   Hint

   Think about the risk of delaying testing.

4. 4.

   Automating tests can lead to which of the following benefits?

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Remember the link between efficiency and time savings.

5. 5.

   Develop a step-by-step plan for introducing automation in an existing FPGA testing workflow. Detail potential challenges and solutions.

   Hint

   Consider how automation reduces workload.

6. 6.

   Evaluate the potential downsides of not employing mixed-mode testing in a project involving complex designs.

   Hint

   Think about how each method covers different aspects of validation.