Method of partitioning logic designs for automatic test pattern generation based on logical registers

In a system used by a logic designer for designing and testing an integrated circuit, the logic design of the integrated circuit including a gate-level description having net names for representations of nets of the integrated circuit and component names for representations of components, components of the circuit including combinational logic circuits and state devices, nets of the integrated circuit including first nets input to the integrated circuit, second nets output from the integrated circuit, and third nets internal to the integrated circuit, with predetermined ones of the nets being vectored nets which are specified by vector net notation, a method of partitioning the logic design of an integrated circuit and generating test patterns for testing the integrated circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) identifying ones of the state devices of the integrated circuit which drive the vectored nets;
• (b) grouping said component names of said ones of the state devices into logical registers according to the net names of the vectored nets;
• (c) creating a plurality of cones of logic design of the integrated circuit, each of said plurality of cones including a section of the logic design of the integrated circuit including at least one of said logical registers of the logic design, all included ones of the combinational logic circuits driving said at least one of said logical registers, and all state devices driving one or more of said included ones of the combinational logic circuits;
• (d) verifying that said plurality of cones traced during step (c) comply with predetermined design rules and that the number of components in each one of said plurality of cones is less than a selected number;
• and
• (e) automatically generating test patterns for each one of said plurality of cones.

In a system used by a logic designer for designing and testing an integrated circuit, the system including a computerized database for storing a gate-level description of the logic design of the integrated circuit and test patterns for testing the integrated circuit, the gate-level description including component names for representations of components and net names for representations of nets of the integrated circuit, components of the integrated circuit including state devices and combinational logic circuits, nets of the integrated circuit including base nets input to the integrated circuit and apex nets output from the integrated circuit, predetermined vectored ones of the nets being vectored nets which are specified by vector net notation, a method of partitioning the logic design of an integrated circuit and generating test patterns for testing the integrated circuit comprising the steps of:

• (a) electronically reading the gate-level description of the logic design of the integrated circuit from the computerized database;
• (b) building a list of logical registers by grouping representations of the state devices which are driving predetermined ones of the vectored nets into said logical registers based on vector net notation of said predetermined ones of the vectored nets;
• (c) tracing a cone of logic design for each of said logical registers in said list of logical registers, each said cone of logic design including at least one of said logical registers, all included ones of the combinational logic circuits which are driving said at least one of said logical registers, and all state devices driving said included ones of the combinational logic circuits;
• (d) verifying that each said cone of logic design traced during step (c) complies with predetermined design rules and that the number of components in each said cone of logic design is less than a selected number;
• (e) automatically generating test patterns for each said cone of logic design;
• (f) fault simulating said test patterns to determine if all faults occurring in the integrated circuit are detected by said test patterns;
• and
• (g) storing said test patterns in the computerized database.

In combination with a digital integrated circuit having components and nets, components of the circuit including combinational logic circuits and state devices, the nets of the digital integrated circuit including first nets input to the digital integrated circuit and second nets driven by the state devices, predetermined ones of the nets having a vector net name specified by vector net notation, a system used by a logic designer for partitioning the logic design of the digital integrated circuit and for generating test patterns for testing the digital integrated circuit comprising:

• tracing means for creating a list of driving ones of the state devices which are driving the predetermined ones of the second nets which are specified by vector net notation, for sorting said list into logical registers based on the vector net name of the net driven by each of said driving ones of the state devices, and for creating a plurality of cones of logic design of the digital integrated circuit, each of said plurality of cones including at least one of said logical registers, all included ones of the combinational logic circuits which are driving said at least one of said logical registers, and all state devices driving said included ones of the combinational logic circuits;
• and
• test pattern generation means for automatically generating test patterns for each one of said plurality of cones.

An electronic design automation system used by a logic designer for designing and testing a digital integrated circuit, the electronic design automation system including a computerized circuit design database for storing a gate level description of the logic design of the digital integrated circuit, the gate level description including names for representations of components and representations of nets of the digital integrated circuit, the components including combinational logic circuits and state devices, nets of the digital integrated circuit including base nets input to the digital integrated circuit and apex nets output from the state devices of the digital integrated circuit, predetermined ones of the apex nets having vector net names specified by vector net notation, the electronic design automation system comprising:

• a processor;
• a storage device coupled to said processor for storing the computerized circuit design database;
• and
• software means operative on said processor for partitioning the logic design of the digital integrated circuit and generate test patterns for testing the digital integrated circuit by:
• (a) electronically reading the logic design of the digital integrated circuit from the computerized circuit design database;
• (b) creating a plurality of logical registers of the digital integrated circuit by grouping representations of state devices that drive the predetermined ones of the apex nets according to the vector net names;
• (c) creating a plurality of cones of logic design from the logic design of the digital integrated circuit, each of said plurality of cones of logic design including at least one of said logical registers, all included ones of the combinational logic circuits driving said at least one of said logical registers, and all state devices driving said included ones of the combinational logic circuits;
• (d) grouping said plurality of cones of logic design into a plurality of partitions, each one of said plurality of partitions including at least one of said plurality of cones of logic design;
• (e) automatically generating test patterns for each one of said plurality of partitions;
• and
• (f) storing said test patterns for testing the digital integrated circuit into the computerized circuit design database.

An electronic design automation system used by a logic designer for partitioning the logic design of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) according to predetermined design rules, and for generating test patterns for testing the ASIC, comprising:

• a computerized ASIC design database means for storing a gate level description of the logic design of the ASIC, said gate level description including names for components and nets of the ASIC, said components of the ASIC including combinational logic circuits and state devices, said nets of the ASIC including base nets input to the ASIC and apex nets output from said state devices, predetermined vectored ones of said apex nets having vector net names specified by vector net notation;
• reading means for reading the logic design of the ASIC from said computerized ASIC design database means;
• cone tracing means coupled to said reading means for creating a list of ones of said state devices driving said predetermined vectored ones of said apex nets, for sorting said list into logical registers based on said vector net names of said predetermined vectored ones of said apex nets, and for creating a plurality of cones of logic design from the logic design of the ASIC, each of said plurality of cones of logic design including at least one of said logical registers, all included ones of said combinational logic circuits which are driving said at least one of said logical registers, and all state devices driving said included ones of said combinational logic circuits;
• partition means coupled to said cone tracing means for grouping said plurality of cones of logic design into a plurality of partitions, each one of said plurality of partitions including at least one of said plurality of cones of logic design;
• test pattern generation means coupled to said partition means for automatically generating test patterns for each one of said plurality of partitions;
• fault simulation means coupled to said test pattern generation means for fault simulating said test patterns to determine if all faults occurring in the ASIC are detected by said test patterns;
• verification means for verifying that said plurality of cones of logic design comply with the predetermined design rules and that the number of said components in each one of said plurality of cones of logic design is less than a selected number;
• and
• means coupled to said test pattern generation means for writing said test patterns into said computerized ASIC design database.