During a processor development cycle, post-silicon validation is performed on the first fabricated chip to detect and fix design errors. Design errors occur due to functional issues when a unit in a design does not meet its specification. The chances of occurrence of such errors are high when new features are added in a processor. Thus, in multicore architectures, with new features being added in core and uncore components, the task of verifying the functionality independently and in coordination with other units gains significance. Several new techniques are being proposed in the field of functional validation. In this article, we undertake a survey of these techniques to identify areas that need to be addressed for multicore designs. We start with an analysis of design errors in multicore architectures. We then survey different functional validation techniques based on hardware, software, and formal methods and propose a comprehensive taxonomy for each of these approaches. We also perform a critical analysis to identify gaps in existing research and propose new research directions for validation of multicore architectures.

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A monoclonal antibody-based antigen detection system was used to detect the levels of circulating antigen in filarial patients before and after treatment with DEC and in normal individuals living in an area endemic for W.bancrofti infection in Chennai, India. The present study was to show the use of this assay as a means of efficient screening for filariasis in an endemic area where blood was absorbed onto the filter paper by finger prick during day time. The results of the antigen levels collected onto filter strips correlated with their corresponding plasma antigen levels (r=0.83). In microfilaraemics, DEC treatment did not alter the levels of circulating antigens upto a period of one month. We conclude that this monoclonal antibody based ELISA using filter strips may be used in daytime and can replace the existing routine night blood survey.