Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.17559/TV-20180718044904

Test Stimuli Segmentation and Coding Method

Chuandong Chen ; Department of Microelectronics, Fuzhou University, 2 Xue Yuan Road, University Town, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
Haibo Luo orcid.org/0000-0001-6216-1625 ; Electronic Information and Control of Fujian, University Engineering Research Center, Minjiang University, 200 Xi Yuan Gong Road, University Town, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
Yuxiang Chen ; Division of Physical Sciences, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States

Abstract

Test vector coding and data transmission are the key technologies in the design-for-test of digital integrated circuits (IC). Existing parallel input methods of test stimuli can reduce test application times; however, they need to occupy multiple input ports. Thus, a novel method of test stimuli coding and data transmission was proposed to reduce the test application time of the test vectors and reduce the number of input ports required for the parallel input of test stimuli. This method was based on the segmentation of test stimuli. First, the test stimuli were evenly segmented into eight-bit wide. Second, the eight-bit data of each segment were encoded to the five-bit data according to the compatibility between the test data of each segment. The eight-bit test stimuli input can be completed in one or two clock cycles of automatic test equipment (ATE) by using the five input ports of the chip. The corresponding decoding circuit was added inside the netlist of the circuit to realize the rapid input of the test stimuli. Lastly, the ISCAS'89 benchmark circuit was used to conduct experiments, results of this coding method were then compared with those of the serial input method. Results show that the encoding method proposed in this study can save an average of 37% of the parallel input data width and 81.7% of the test stimuli input time. The proposed method in this study can also reduce the test application time and the cost of the IC test. The findings of this study can provide guidance for improving the scan testing method of digital IC.

Keywords

design-for-test; scan testing; test stimuli; test vectors

Hrčak ID:

204464

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/204464

Publication date:

20.8.2018.

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