Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for generating integrated circuit test patterns

US5745501A · kind A · utility

13Cited by
7References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 26, 1997
Grant dateApr 28, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 26, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/318505
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating integrated circuit test patterns (218) to test a functionality of integrated circuits. Module test stimuli (202) for each module present in an integrated circuit (10) are generated and retained (102). The module test stimuli (202) are translated to module drive patterns (206). Module expected patterns (210) are determined based on the module drive patterns (206) or module test stimuli (202) using module models (208). Integrated circuit data (216) describing the structure and timing of the integrated circuit (10) is used to translate the module patterns (212) into integrated circuit test patterns (218). The integrated circuit test patterns (212) are validated (220), transformed to test vectors (226), and the test vectors (226) are applied to the external connections of the integrated circuit (10) to test a functionality of the integrated circuit (10). A data processing system (300) creates the integrated circuit test patterns (218). The steps of the present invention are incorporated into a computer readable medium and a method for manufacturing and testing an integrated circuit (10).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.