System for testing an electronic circuit comprising a digital to analog converter and corresponding method and computer program product

A system, comprising:

• an automatic testing device (ATE);
• an interface;
• and
• a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the ATE via the interface, wherein the DAC, in operation, generates analog output signals in response to input codes of a set of input codes of the DAC, the DAC including:
• a switching network having a plurality of switches;
• and
• built-in-self-test (BIST) circuitry coupled to the switching network, wherein the BIST circuitry, in a self-test mode of operation of the DAC:
• sequentially applies codes of a determined subset of codes of the set of input codes to test the plurality of switches, the determined subset of codes having fewer codes than the set of input codes;
• detects failures of switches of the plurality of switches based on responses of the DAC to the applied codes;
• and
• in response to detecting a failure of a switch of the plurality of switches, generates a signal indicating a failure of the switching network, wherein the BIST circuitry, in the self-test mode of operation:
• perform an open-failure test of the plurality of switches;
• generates an indication of a failure of the open-failure test based on a result of the open-failure test;
• selectively performs a closed-failure test of the plurality of switches based on the result of the open-failure test;
• and
• generates an indication of a failure of the closed-failure test based on a result of the closed-failure test.

A method, comprising:

• sequentially applying to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), using built-in-self-test (BIST) circuitry of the DAC, codes of a determined subset of codes of a set of inputs codes of the DAC, the determined subset of codes having fewer codes than the set of input codes of the DAC;
• detecting, using the BIST circuitry, failures of switches of a plurality of switches of a switching network of the DAC based on responses of the DAC to the applied codes of the determined subset of codes;
• and
• in response to detecting a failure of a switch of the plurality of switches, generating, using the BIST circuitry, an indication of a failure of the switching network of the DAC, wherein the method includes:
• performing an open-failure test of the plurality of switches;
• generating an indication of a failure of the open-failure test based on a result of the open-failure test;
• selectively performing a closed-failure test of the plurality of switches based on the result of the open-failure test;
• and
• generating an indication of a failure of the closed-failure test based on a result of the closed-failure test.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having contents which cause built-in-self-test (BIST) circuitry of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to perform a method, the method comprising:

• sequentially applying to codes of a determined subset of codes of a set of inputs codes of the DAC to an input of the DAC, the determined subset of codes having fewer codes than the set of input codes of the DAC;
• detecting failures of switches of a plurality of switches of a switching network of the DAC based on responses of the DAC to the applied codes of the determined subset of codes;
• and
• in response to detecting a failure of a switch of the plurality of switches, generating an indication of a failure of the switching network of the DAC, wherein the method includes:
• performing an open-failure test of the plurality of switches;
• generating an indication of a failure of the open-failure test based on a result of the open-failure test;
• selectively performing a closed-failure test of the plurality of switches based on the result of the open-failure test;
• and
• generating an indication of a failure of the closed-failure test based on a result of the closed-failure test.