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US 2004/0002832 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for boundary scan of serial interfaces
OwnerPatrick P. Chaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Serial interfaces on integrated circuits are tested in near-real-time by boundary scan cells. Serial inputs are converted to logic states that are sampled concurrently by a test access port. Test access port data is serialized and driven in near-real-time outward from the integrated circuit.
Claims16
A method for driving an output pin of an integrated circuit with a serial bit stream comprising the steps of:
- receiving a plurality of logic states from a functional circuit element;
- receiving a plurality of logic states from a test access port if the test access port is active;
- receiving a substitution signal;
- conveying the plurality of logic states received from the functional circuit element to a serializerif the substitution signal is inactive;
- conveying the plurality of logic states received from the test access port to the serializerif the substitution signal is active;
- emitting a bit stream from the shift register;
- and
- driving the output pin according to the bit stream.
5 more elements
A method for monitoring an input pin of an integrated circuit that is capable of receiving a serial bit stream comprising the steps of:
- receiving a serial bit stream at an input pin comprising the integrated circuit;
- directing the serial bit stream to a serial-to-parallel converter;
- directing a plurality of logic states corresponding to bits in the bit stream from the serial-to-parallel converter to a functional circuit element;
- and
- directing the plurality of logic states received from the serial-to-parallel converter to a test access port if the test access port is active.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- functional circuit element that sources a plurality of logic signals;
- test access port that is capable of receiving a plurality of logic signals;
- serializer capable of receiving a plurality of logic signals either from the functional circuit element or the test access port according to a substitution signal;
- and
- output pin unit that receives a serial bit stream from the serializer.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- input pin unit that receives a serial data stream;
- serial-to-parallel converter that receives a serial data stream from the input pin unit;
- functional circuit element that receives a plurality of parallel logic signals from the serial-to-parallel converter;
- and
- plurality of boundary scan cells capable of monitoring the state of the plurality of parallel logic signals.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.