Method and system for reducing switching activity during scan-load operations
US8468404B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 25, 2010 |
| Grant date | Jun 18, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 29, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/318575
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and system for reducing switching activity of a spreader network during a scan-load operation is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a spreader network receives a plurality of scan input signals from a tester. A linear feedback shift register of the spread network is updated using the plurality of scan input signals. Each bit of the linear feedback shift register is shifted at each shift cycle for a plurality of shift cycles. The linear feedback shift register outputs a nonlinear gating signal using a first set of outputs and a data value feeding one or more scan chains of the spreader network using a second set of outputs. The pipeline clock of a pipeline element of the scan chains is gated using the nonlinear gating signal, and the data value is fed to the scan chains based on the pipeline clock. The scan chains are fed with updated values at the pipeline stage.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.