Designing Robust Microcontrollers for Debugging After Silicon

Abstract

Post-silicon debugging is a critical phase in the development of microcontrollers, where latent design bugs, signal integrity issues, and timing violations often emerge that were not detectable during pre-silicon verification. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to designing robust microcontrollers with built-in debug capabilities to streamline post-silicon validation and failure analysis. We explore architectural enhancements such as embedded trace buffers, hardware breakpoints, scan chains, and real-time observability features that facilitate detailed monitoring and control without significantly impacting area or performance. Furthermore, we discuss methodologies to ensure minimal debug overhead and propose a scalable debug framework that supports rapid root cause analysis across varying use cases. The proposed design strategies aim to reduce time-to-market, improve first-pass silicon success rates, and enhance the overall reliability of embedded systems.