Primary Input Vectors to Avoid in Random Test Sequences for Synchronous Sequential Circuits

Irith Pomeranz; Sudhakar M Reddy

doi:10.1109/TCAD.2007.907229

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Primary Input Vectors to Avoid in Random Test Sequences for Synchronous Sequential Circuits

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Primary Input Vectors to Avoid in Random Test Sequences for Synchronous Sequential Circuits

Irith Pomeranz and Sudhakar M Reddy

IEEE transactions on computer-aided design of integrated circuits and systems, Vol.27(1), pp.193-197

01/2008

DOI: 10.1109/TCAD.2007.907229

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Abstract

Random test sequences may be used for manufacturing testing as well as for simulation-based design verification. This paper studies one of the reasons for the fact that random primary input sequences achieve very low fault coverage for synchronous sequential circuits. It is shown that a synchronous sequential circuit may have input cubes, or incompletely specified input vectors, that synchronize a subset of its state variables, i.e., it forces them to certain specified values. When an input cube c that synchronizes the subset of state variables S(c) has a small number of specified inputs, the input vectors covered by it may appear often in a random primary input sequence. As a result, the sequence will force the same values on the state variables in S(c) repeatedly. This may limit the fault coverage that the sequence can obtain. To address this issue, a procedure is described for modifying a random primary input sequence to eliminate the appearance of input vectors that synchronize subsets of state variables. It is demonstrated that this procedure has a significant effect on the fault coverage that can be achieved by random primary input sequences.

Circuit faults

Circuit simulation

Circuit testing

Cities and towns

Electrical fault detection

Fault detection

Random test sequences

Sequential analysis

Sequential circuits

synchronization

Synchronous generators

synchronous sequential circuits

test generation

Virtual manufacturing

Details

Title: Subtitle: Primary Input Vectors to Avoid in Random Test Sequences for Synchronous Sequential Circuits
Creators: Irith Pomeranz - Purdue University West Lafayette
Sudhakar M Reddy - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: IEEE transactions on computer-aided design of integrated circuits and systems, Vol.27(1), pp.193-197
DOI: 10.1109/TCAD.2007.907229
ISSN: 0278-0070
eISSN: 1937-4151
Publisher: IEEE
Language: English
Date published: 01/2008
Academic Unit: Electrical and Computer Engineering
Record Identifier: 9984197235302771

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