An Investigation of Possibilities of Improving Random Test Generation for Non-scan Sequential Circuits

E Bareisa,V Jusas,K Motiejunas,R Seinauskas

doi:10.5755/j01.eee.114.8.685

E Bareisa, V Jusas + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.114.8.685

Copy DOI

Abstract

High-performance circuits with aggressive timing constraints are usually very susceptible to delay faults. The latest research shows that functional tests designed using random test generation exhibit good transition fault coverages. In the paper, we investigated the possibilities of improving random test generation for at-speed testing of non-scan synchronous sequential circuits. Based on research of distribution of "1" in randomly generated test pattern we suggested guidance for management of test generation process. The implementation of semi deterministic algorithms showed that the optimisation of separate steps by construction of test subsequences doesn't improve the final outcome. Ill. 2, bibl. 8, tabl. 3 (in English; abstracts in English and Lithuanian).http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.114.8.685

Highlights

Semiconductor devices are becoming increasingly complex in terms of transistor count, frequency and integration
One important issue is their initialization, which means the sequential circuit must start from a known initial state for it to operate correctly, as well as when generating tests for circuit, or when verifying the functional properties [8]
The sequential circuit is comprised of two parts: the combinational logic and the flip-flops synchronized by a common clock signal

Summary

ELEKTRONIKA IR ELEKTROTECHNIKA

The functional test can be generated on the base of the software prototype. When the synthesis of a high level description into a particular implementation is completed, the minimization of the functional test according to the particular implementation can be provided in order to exclude the test patterns that do not detect the faults of the particular implementation. The adaptation of the functional test according to the particular implementation is much simpler task than a generation of the test from the scratch. Random test sequences may be used for manufacturing testing as well as for simulation-based design verification [1,2,3,4]. The presented in [3, 4] research shows that functional tests designed using random test generation exhibit better transition fault coverages than tests produced by deterministic ATPG tools.

Introduction

Related works

Conclusions