International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Mark R Taylor

Gary Douglas Grise

Vikram Iyengar

Kelly A Ockunzzi

David E Lackey

James Stephen Mason

Jeremy K Stephens

Huihao Xu

Charlie Chornglii Hwang

Matthew B Baecher

Thomas J Bardsley

Douglas E Sprague

Joseph O Marsh

Richard J Grupp

David W Milton

Donald Lawrence Wheater

Brion L Keller

Carl Frederick Barnhart

Robert W Bassett

Bruce Cowan

Henry R Farmer

Hardik P Bhagat

Baalaji Konda Ramamoorthy

Greeshma Jayakumar

Jessica H Pratt

A method includes: defining a plurality of clock architecture attributes for a plurality of clock domains to be tested; assigning each one of the plurality of clock domains to a first test group; and refining the assignment of each one of the plurality of clock domains based on the plurality of clock architecture attributes until each of the plurality of clock domains is grouped into a current test group.

Auto test grouping/clock sequencing for at-speed test

A method of grouping clock domains includes: separating a plurality of test clocks into a plurality of domain groups by adding to each respective one of the plurality of domain groups those test clocks that originate from a same clock source and have a unique clock divider ratio; sorting the domain groups in decreasing order of size; and creating a plurality of parts by adding the respective one of the plurality of domain groups to a first one of the plurality of parts in which already present test clocks have a different clock source, and creating a new part and adding the respective one of the plurality of domain groups to the new part when test clocks present in the respective one of the plurality of domain groups originate from a respective same clock source and have a different clock divider ratio as test clocks present in all previously-created parts.

Clock edge grouping for at-speed test

A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process includes an apparatus for testing logic devices configured across asynchronous clock domains, including a deactivation mechanism for deactivating, during at-speed fault testing, a local clock signal for each of a first plurality of latches having at least one data input thereto originating from a source located within an asynchronous clock domain with respect thereto; wherein the deactivation mechanism is configured to permit data capture within the first plurality of latches, and wherein the deactivation mechanism is further configured to permit at-speed data launch from the first plurality of latches to downstream latches with respect thereto during at-speed testing.

Design structure for shutting off data capture across asynchronous clock domains during at-speed testing

Novel structures and testing methods for the FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) embedded in an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). Basically, a shift/interface system is coupled between the FPGAs and the ASIC. During normal operation, the shift/interface system electrically couples the FPGAs to the ASIC. During the testing of the FPGAs, the shift/interface system scans in FPGA test data in series, then feeds the FPGA test data to the FPGAs, then receives FPGA response data from the FPGAs, and then scans out the FPGA response data in series. During the testing of the ASIC, the shift/interface system scans in ASIC test data in series, then feeds the ASIC test data to the ASIC, then receives ASIC response data from the ASIC, and then scans out the ASIC response data in series.

Mechanism to provide test access to third-party macro circuits embedded in an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit)

An apparatus for selectively implementing launch-off-scan capability in at-speed testing of integrated circuit devices includes a control device configured to selectively disable a master clock signal of a latch structure under test such that a pulse sequence of a system clock signal results in a slave-master-slave clock pulse sequence in the latch structure under test; wherein the control device utilizes the system clock signal as an input thereto and operates in a self-resetting fashion that is timing independent with respect to a scan chain.

Apparatus and method for selectively implementing launch off scan capability in at speed testing

A method for testing logic devices configured across asynchronous clock domains includes deactivating, during at-speed fault testing, a local clock signal for each of a first plurality of latches having at least one data input thereto originating from a source located within an asynchronous clock domain with respect thereto. The deactivation of a local clock signal for each of the plurality of latches is implemented in a manner so as to permit data capture within the first plurality of latches, and wherein the deactivation of a local clock signal for each of the plurality of latches is further implemented in a manner so as to permit at-speed data launch therefrom to downstream latches with respect thereto during at-speed testing.

Method and apparatus for shutting off data capture across asynchronous clock domains during at-speed testing

Digital testing of an analog driver circuit is enabled using a circuit including a control circuit for generating signals, a differential driver circuit for receiving a differential input signal, amplifying the differential input signal and transmitting a differential output signal, a programmable termination impedance circuit for generating a differential termination impedance at the output node of the differential driver circuit, and a differential receiver circuit for converting the differential output signal to a single ended signal and transmitting the single ended signal. The testing includes skewing a differential output termination impedance, adjusting a differential receiver circuit voltage offset, selecting a differential driver circuit power level, enabling a decoder which activates only one differential driver circuit segment per test sequence, activating a segment, stimulating the differential driver circuit with digital test patterns, receiving differential driver circuit output, converting the output to a single-ended signal, and observing the single-ended signal.

System and method of digitally testing an analog driver circuit

A circuit of testing an analog driver circuit using digital scan-based test methodologies. The circuit of the present invention includes a control circuit for generating signals in response to a test enable signal, a differential driver circuit for receiving a differential input signal, amplifying the differential input signal and transmitting a differential output signal in response to the differential input signal and the signals generated by the control circuit, a programmable termination impedance circuit for generating a differential termination impedance at the output node of the differential driver circuit in response the signals generated by the control circuit, and a differential receiver circuit for receiving the differential output from the differential driver circuit, convert the differential output signal to a single ended signal and transmitting the single ended signal, all in response to the test enable signal.

System of digitally testing an analog driver circuit

Novel structures and testing methods for the FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) embedded in an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Basically, a shift/interface system is coupled between the FPGAs and the ASIC. During normal operation, the shift/interface system electrically couples the FPGAs to the ASIC. During the testing of the FPGAs, the shift/interface system scans in FPGA test data in series, then feeds the FPGA test data to the FPGAs, then receives FPGA response data from the FPGAs, and then scans out the FPGA response data in series. During the testing of the ASIC, the shift/interface system scans in ASIC test data in series, then feeds the ASIC test data to the ASIC, then receives ASIC response data from the ASIC, and then scans out the ASIC response data in series.

When testing an ASIC using functional clocks, a control circuit at the clock root incorporates additional test logic in the root and a deskewer for clock control, giving rise to a very flexible control that can pass clock signals at a number of clock rates and can pass only a single clock edge, thereby permitting the passage of the required number of clock pulses for a test. The system uses the functional clock and the clock distribution tree designed into the ASIC.

Clock control circuit for test that facilitates an at speed structural test

A structure and associated method for associated grouping of an alpha device with a plurality of dependent devices for a manufacturing test. The alpha device comprises at least one electrical characteristic. The plurality of dependent devices each comprise the at least one electrical characteristic. The alpha device and the plurality dependent devices are grouped together within a semiconductor device for an associated manufacturing test.

Associated grouping of embedded cores for manufacturing test

A method of testing a circuit having multiple elements is disclosed. A plurality of faults representing the elements of the circuit for testing said circuit is created. The faults are grouped based on common attributes of the faults. A test pattern for each group of faults is created. Finally, the circuit is tested using test patterns for each group of faults.

Growing community of inventors

Essex Junction, VT, United States of America

Mark R Taylor