Test of Reconfigurable Modules in Scan Networks

Abstract

Modern devices often include several embedded instruments, such as BIST interfaces, sensors, calibration facilities. New standards, such as IEEE Std 1687, provide vehicles to access these instruments. In approaches based on reconfigurable scan networks (RSNs), instruments are coupled with scan registers, connected into chains and interleaved with reconfigurable modules. Such modules embed reconfigurable multiplexers that permit a selective access to different parts of the chain. A similar scenario is also supported by IEEE Std 1149.1-2013. The test of permanent faults affecting an RSN requires to shift test vectors throughout a certain number of network configurations. This paper presents some methodologies to select the list of configurations that perform the complete test of the reconfigurable modules of the RSN. In particular, one method is presented that, by construction, can be proved to be able to apply the test in the minimum amount of clock cycles. Other methods are sub-optimal in terms of test application time (TAT), but scale well on large circuits. In order to provide a comparison between the proposed methods, experimental results on some benchmark RSNs are provided.