Quantitatively Analyzing the Performance of Integrated Circuits and Their Reliability

T esting, instrumentation, and measurement electron-ics require high reliability and high quality complex integrated circuits (ICs) to ensure the accuracy of the analytical data they process. Microprocessors and other com-plex ICs such as FPGAs are considered the most important components within instrumentation. They are susceptible to electrical, mechanical and thermal modes of failure like other components on a printed circuit board, and due to their complexity and roles within a circuit, performance-based failure can be considered an even larger concern. Stability of device parameters is key to guaranteeing that a system will function according to its design. We discuss the importance of microprocessor and IC device reliability and how modifying the operational parameters of these devices through over- and under-clocking can either reduce or improve overall reliabil-ity, respectively, and directly affect the lifetime of the system in which these devices are installed