College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Electrical Engineering
College - Author 2
College of Engineering
Department - Author 2
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 2
BS in Electrical Engineering
Date
6-2026
Primary Advisor
Anu Aggarwal, College of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Department
Abstract/Summary
This report presents the design, implementation, and validation of a custom printed circuit board (PCB) test bench for a VLSI grid cell emulation chip. The final board provides two independently adjustable 5V supplies using LM317 linear regulators, eleven potentiometer-controlled bias voltages, high-impedance buffering of analog outputs via an MCP6022 dual operational amplifier, and buffering of digital outputs using a 74HC244 buffer IC. The design includes a 40-pin DIP socket for the VLSI chip, extensive test-point headers for probing, and a 9V battery input for portable operation. Five fully functional boards were fabricated using ExpressPCB and assembled with through-hole components. An initial plan to include an onboard 0.1 µs pulse generator using a 555 timer and 74HC123 multivibrator was developed and tested on breadboard but was inevitably removed from the final design to focus on reliable power delivery and signal buffering. The resulting test bench successfully enables standalone characterization of the VLSI chip using standard laboratory equipment.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/725
Included in
Electrical and Electronics Commons, VLSI and Circuits, Embedded and Hardware Systems Commons