System and method for structurally testing integrated circuit devices
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsKenneth M. Butler, Theo J. Powell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system (13) is provided for structurally testing an integrated circuit device, The system includes a signature analyzer (14) operable to compress test results received from the integrated circuit device into a signature. A control device (20) is coupled to the signature analyzer (14), The control device (20) is operable to enable the compression operation of the signature analyzer (14) when the test results contain known states and disable the compression operation when the test results contain unknown states.
Claims20
A system for structurally testing an integrated circuit device, comprising:
- a signature analyzer operable to compress test results received from the integrated circuit device into a signature;
- and
- a control device coupled to the signature analyzer and operable to enable the compression operation of the signature analyzer when the test results contain known states and disable the compression operation when the test results contain unknown states.
A system for structurally testing an integrated circuit device, comprising:
- a signature analyzer operable to compress test results received from the integrated circuit device into a signature;
- and
- a select device coupled to the signature analyzer and operable to select a bit having a known state to be entered into the signature analyzer in place of each bit in the test results having an unknown state.
A method for structurally testing an integrated circuit device, comprising the steps of:
- generating testing data to be used in testing the device, the testing data comprising a sequence of test patterns and corresponding test results having a plurality of bits;
- determining which test results contain any unknown states;
- inputting a test pattern into the integrated circuit device to generate test results;
- compressing the test results into a signature and analyzing the signature to determine if the integrated circuit device is functioning properly if the test results do not contain unknown states;
- and
- analyzing the test results to determine if the integrated circuit device is functioning properly if the test results do contain unknown states.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.