International Business Machines Corporation

Matthew Steven Hyde

Thomas J Knips

Uma Srinivasan

William Vincent Huott

Gregory J Fredeman

Daniel Rodko

Pradip Patel

Thomas E Miller

A method for testing a circuit includes performing, by a test engine, a test of bit write to a memory. The test includes defining a bit group based on a set of bits from an address of a memory location. The test further includes generating a bit mask for the bit group. The test further includes performing a bit write operation to the address to store a sequence of bits, the sequence of bits selected using a predetermined bit pattern. The test further includes reading content of the address. The test also includes comparing, using the bit mask, only bits corresponding to the bit group from the sequence of bits and from the content of the address.

Testing bit write operation to a memory array in integrated circuits

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a memory address of a memory location in a memory that has been identified to be failing. The method further includes determining that the memory location is from a particular portion of the memory. The method further includes, in response to a number of memory locations that are identified to be failing from the particular portion of the memory being below a predetermined threshold, logging the memory address in a set of failing address registers associated with the memory, otherwise, skipping the logging of the memory address in the failing address registers.

Failing address registers for built-in self tests

A method for testing a circuit includes performing, by a test engine, a test of a memory element of the circuit, the test accesses a memory location in the memory element, the memory location is identified by an address, and the memory location is accessed via a first port associated with a first port select bit. The method further includes, in response to detecting a failure associated with the memory location, determining an existing entry for the address in a failed address register, and determining that the existing entry in the failed address register is associated with a second port select bit, distinct from the first port select bit. The method further includes, in response to the second port select bit being distinct from the first port select bit, setting a multi-port failure flag for the memory element that is being tested.

Testing multi-port array in integrated circuits

A non-limiting example includes data storage circuitry. The data storage circuitry includes a built-in self-test (BIST) engine. The data storage circuitry includes a memory array including memory cells. The memory array is configured to store data based on a read-write vector associated with an address vector that includes memory addresses and according to a bit-write vector that defines bit-write enablement for the memory addresses. The memory array is configured to output a stored data vector. The data storage circuitry includes a selector configured to receive the bit-write vector, and to output a selected vector based on an initialization vector and a comparison vector based at least in part on the bit-write vector. The data storage circuitry includes a comparator configured to receive the stored data vector and the selected vector, and to output an error based on discrepancies between the stored data vector and the selected vector.

Growing community of inventors

Wappingers Falls, NY, United States of America

Matthew Steven Hyde