Test access mechanism for diagnosis based on partitioning scan chains

US9026874B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• MENTOR GRAPHICS CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Wu-Tung Cheng · Lake Oswego, US
• Manish Sharma · Sunnyvale, US
• Avijit Dutta · Tigard, US
• Robert Brady Benware · Sandy, US
• Mark Kassab · Wilsonville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 9, 2013
• Grant date: May 5, 2015
• Expiry date: Dec 9, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F11/2242
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Disclosed are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for partitioning-based Test Access Mechanisms (TAM). Test response data are captured by scan cells of a plurality scan chains in a circuit under test and are compared with test response data expected for a good CUT to generate check values. Based on the check values, partition pass/fail signals are generated by partitioning scheme generators. Each of the partitioning scheme generators is configured to generate one of the partition pass/fail signals for one of partitioning schemes. A partitioning scheme divides the scan cells into a set of non-overlapping partitions. Based on the partition pass/fail signals, a failure diagnosis process may be performed.