Communication and control topology for efficient testing of sets of devices

A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a program for testing devices coupled to respective slave controllers, the program including instructions for causing a machine to:

• simulate at least one master controller, the master controller including:
• an interface to a central processing unit,
• an input port configured to receive a digital signal from a conductor path, and
• an output port configured to transmit a digital signal to a conductor path;
• simulate a plurality of slave controllers, each slave controller including:
• an interface to a device,
• an input port configured to receive a digital signal from a conductor path, and
• an output port configured to transmit a digital signal to a conductor path;
• and
• simulate a first chain bridge that includes:
• a first set of input and output ports that couple the first chain bridge to a first chain of nodes each coupled to neighboring nodes by conductor paths in a closed loop, where the nodes of the first chain include the master controller, and
• a second set of input and output ports that couple the first chain bridge to a second chain of nodes each coupled to neighboring nodes by conductor paths in a closed loop, where the nodes of the second chain include a plurality of slave controllers.

A method for testing design or fabrication of an integrated circuit that includes slave controllers for coupling to respective devices, the method comprising:

• executing instructions corresponding to at least one master controller, the master controller including:
• an interface to a central processing unit,
• an input port configured to receive a digital signal from a conductor path, and
• an output port configured to transmit a digital signal to a conductor path;
• executing instructions corresponding to a plurality of slave controllers, each slave controller including:
• an interface to a device,
• an input port configured to receive a digital signal from a conductor path, and
• an output port configured to transmit a digital signal to a conductor path;
• and
• executing instructions corresponding to a first chain bridge that includes:
• a first set of input and output ports that couple the first chain bridge to a first chain of nodes each coupled to neighboring nodes by conductor paths in a closed loop, where the nodes of the first chain include the master controller, and
• a second set of input and output ports that couple the first chain bridge to a second chain of nodes each coupled to neighboring nodes by conductor paths in a closed loop, where the nodes of the second chain include a plurality of slave controllers.