Initialisation of BIST Circuits Based on Rule 60 Cellular Automata

Abstract

A theory of initialising new type linear test pattern generators (TPGs) based on rule 60 Cellular Automata (register composed of T-type flip-flops only) is developed in the paper. Two practical ways of setting an initial state of such registers are also shown. One of them is based on the use of external tester while another one is well suited to BIST applications. They both involve much less area overhead than hitherto employed TPG initialisation techniques, which require using either T-type flip-flops with set or reset inputs or T-type flip-flops equipped with scan mode.