Augmenting Functional Broadside Tests for Transition Fault Coverage with Bounded Switching Activity

Abstract

For most purposes, it is sufficient for a low-power test set to ensure that the power dissipation during test application will not exceed that possible during functional operation. This is guaranteed for the fast functional capture cycles of functional broadside tests. This paper describes a procedure that generates broadside test sets with bounded switching activity during fast functional capture cycles based on the maximum switching activity of a functional broadside test set, targeting transition faults in full-scan circuits. The procedure first generates a compact functional broadside test set. It then extends the test set in steps in order to increase its fault coverage to that of an arbitrary broadside test set (a test set that includes non-functional broadside tests). During these steps, the maximum switching activity of the functional broadside test set is used for bounding the switching activity.