Cellular automata-based built-in self-test structures for VLSI systems

Abstract

Some of the fundamental algebraic properties of hybrid additive, null-bounded, cellular automata (HACA) are presented. Simple HACA have been obtained by spatially alternating additive rules 90 and 150 (in Wolfram's notation). The use of such HACA for on-chip pseudorandom test pattern generation is also described. The great advantage of HACA over linear feedback shift registers (LFSR), as their size increases, is the fact that HACA display locality and topological regularity, important attributes for VLSI implementation.