Panel Statement: Increasing test coverage in a VLSI design course

Abstract

The question raised by the panel is how much testing should be included in a VLSI Design course and what makes a “well-rounded” electrical and computer engineering graduate. The fact that we had to have a National Science Foundation workshop and now an ITC panel to discuss how to incorporate test in a design course shows that the disconnect between design and test happens not only in industry but also in academia as well. The fact that the panel considers test in conjunction with VLSI design seems to imply that test is important only in the VLSI design context. How did we get to this sorry state? Can we do better and look at test as an integral part of electronic design, instead of narrowing the focus to just VLSI? At the University of Washington, we have shown that by taking a more global perspective, we can actually teach test, teach it very well, attract interested and well-motivated students, and build a new generation of students knowledgeable in both design and test.