An EDA course module for the topic of reliability using automotive electronics as applications

Abstract

In automobiles, the demand of electronic devices has seen a sharp increase every year. To keep abreast of the growing market demand, to improve the reliability of electronic devices used in automobiles is an essential problem. As a result, there is a demand to develop EDA (electronic design automation) tools for reliability analysis and optimization of automotive electronics. In our college, previous EDA courses focus on the introduction to the algorithms in different design stages with timing, area, or power as the objectives. The reliability issues are mentioned but not emphasized in our previous EDA courses. To catch the trend of automotive electronics, we develop a course module to offer students the concepts and experiences for reliability analysis and optimization of automotive electronics. Our teaching materials include the introduction to automotive electronics, such as ECU (electronic control unit) design, and the related reliability issues, such as the aging effect and the thermal effect. Furthermore, students are asked to implement three EDA tools for reliability analysis and optimization of automotive electronics. At the end of the semester, the evaluation of the course by students is very positive.