Intel Corp (INTC)

[Elmer Phud]

Not a Short

I'm going to define some terms:

#1 A bug is a design mistake where the design says 2+2=3. All devices are affected.

#2 A hard defect is where a defect causes an isolated device to say 2+2=3 because of a shorted line, particle or some such defect caused by the manufacturing process. Only isolated devices are affected and the effect is unique to that device. It will always say 2+2=3 regardless of voltage or temp.

#3 A soft defect is where the effect is only seen on boundry conditions. Normally 2+2=4 but with voltage, temperature or process extremes a device may say 2+2=3, but under less stressful conditions it will say 2+2=4. The anomoly could be a previously undiscovered speedpath that is only now coming into play because of the new bus/core rations or it could be a soft manufacturing defect that slows down a path but doesn't corrupt the data except for making it late, meaning it still works if you slow it down.


#1 requires a design fix, microcode patch or software workaround to fix.

#2 should be easily screened by the test program's basic fault coverage.

#3 should also be screened by the test program but the exact sequence of events that triggers the fault is much harder to find, indentify and screen for. There are more speed paths then can possibly be tested under normal production conditions.
If not a soft defect a design fix could address this but only to the extent where the normal speed distribution is less sensitive and binsplits can be improved.

To me it looked very much like the problem fell into category #3 as the problem was only seen at the last minute and then only in a few units and only under boundry conditions. A perfect time for a new test screen.

Now that Intel has done a software patch it blows my whole theory...