• ETRI Journal
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.412-420
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• 2008

A new scan partition architecture to reduce both the average and peak power dissipation during scan testing is proposed for low-power embedded systems. In scan-based testing, due to the extremely high switching activity during the scan shift operation, the power consumption increases considerably. In addition, the reduced correlation between consecutive test patterns may increase the power consumed during the capture cycle. In the proposed architecture, only a subset of scan cells is loaded with test stimulus and captured with test responses by freezing the remaining scan cells according to the spectrum of unspecified bits in the test cubes. To optimize the proposed process, a novel graph-based heuristic to partition the scan chain into several segments and a technique to increase the number of don't cares in the given test set have been developed. Experimental results on large ISCAS89 benchmark circuits show that the proposed technique, compared to the traditional full scan scheme, can reduce both the average switching activities and the average peak switching activities by 92.37% and 41.21%, respectively.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

Since scan based testing is very efficient and widely used for testing large sequential circuits. However, since test patterns are serially injected through long scan chains, scan based testing requires very long test application time. Also, compared to the normal operations, scan shifting operations drastically increase power consumption. In order to solve these problems, this paper presents a new scan architecture for both test application time and test power reduction. The proposed scan architecture partitions scan chains into several segments and bypasses some segments which do not include any specified bit. Since bypassed segments are excluded from the scan shifting operation, the test application time and test power can be significantly reduced.

• 전자공학회논문지 IE
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.5-12
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• 2008

We propose efficient scan testing method capable of reducing the test data and power dissipation for digital logic circuits. The proposed testing method is based on a hybrid run-length encoding which reduces test data storage on the tester. We also introduce modified Bus-invert coding method and scan cell design in scan cell reordering, thus providing increased power saving in scan in operation. Experimental results for ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits show that average power of 96.7% and peak power of 84% are reduced on the average without fault coverage degrading. We have obtained a high reduction of 78.2% on the test data compared the existing compression methods.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.345-355
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• 2014

Today's System-on-a-Chip (SoC) is designed with reusable IP cores to meet short time-to-market requirements. However, the increasing cost of testing becomes a big burden in manufacturing a highly integrated SoC. In this paper, an efficient parallel scan test technique is introduced to minimize the test application time. Multiple scan enable signals are adopted to implement scan architecture to achieve optimal test application time for the test patterns scheduled for concurrent scan test. Experimental results show that testing times are considerably reduced with little area overhead.

• The Transactions of the Korea Information Processing Society
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• v.3 no.7
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• pp.1924-1937
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• 1996

In this paper, we propose a ESP(Extended Scan Path) architecture for multi- board testing. The conventional architectures for board testing are single scan path and multi-scan path. In the single scan path architecture, the scan path for test data is just one chain. If the scan path is faulty due to short or open, the test data is not valid. In the multi-scan path architecture, there are additional signals in multi-board testing. So conventional architectures are not adopted to multi-board testing. In the case of the ESP architecture, even though scan paths either short or open, it doesn't affect remaining other scan paths. As a result of executing parallel BIST and IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan test by using, he proposed ESP architecture, we observed to the test time is short compared with the single scan path architecture. Because the ESP architecture uses the common bus, there are not additional signals in multi-board testing. By comparing the ESP architecture with conventional one using ISCAS '85 bench mark circuit, we showed that the architecture has improved results.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.43 no.10 s.352
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• pp.74-79
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• 2006

Test Interface Controller (TIC) provided by ARM Ltd. is widely used for functional testing of System-on-Chip (SoC) adopting Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) bus system. Accordingly, this architecture has a deficiency of not being able to concurrently shifting in and out the structural scan test patterns through the TIC and AMBA bus. This paper introduces a new AMBA based Test Access Mechanism (ATAM) for speedy testing of SoCs embedding ARM cores. While preserving the compatability with the ARM TIC, since scan in and out operations can be performed simultaneously, test application time through the expensive Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) can be drastically reduced.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2001.06b
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• pp.125-128
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• 2001

In this paper, we propose a low power Scan-based Built-ln Self Test based on circuit partitioning and pattern suppression using modified test control unit. To partition a CUT(Circuit Under Testing), the MHPA(Multilevel Hypergraph Partition Algorithm) is used. As a result of circuit partition, we can reduce the total length of test pattern, so that power consumptions are decreased in test mode. Also, proposed Scan-based BIST architecture suppresses a redundant test pattern by inserting an additional decoder in BIST control unit. A decoder detects test pattern with high fault coverage, and applies it to partitioned circuits. Experimental result on the ISCAS benchmark circuits shows the efficiency of proposed low power BIST architecture.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.980-986
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• 2007

Boundary scan test structure(JTAG IEEE 1149.1 standard) that supports an internal scan chain is generally being used to test CUT(circuit under test). Since the internal scan chain can only have a single scan-in port and a single scan-out port; however, existing boundary test methods can not be used when multiple scan chains are present in CUT. Those chains must be stitched to form a single scan chain as shown in this paper. We propose an efficient boundary scan test structure that adds a circuit called Clock Group Register(CGR) for multiple clocks testing within the design of multiple scan chains. The proposed CGR has the function of grouping clocks. By adding CGR to a previously existing boundary scan design, the design is modified. This revised scan design overcomes the limitation of supporting a single scan-in port and out port, and it bolsters multiple scan-in ports and out ports. Through our experiments, the effectiveness of CGR is proved. With this, it is possible to test more complicated designs that have high density with a little effort. Furthermore, it will also benefit in designing those complicated circuits.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.582-594
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• 2016

Various test data compression techniques have been developed to reduce the test costs of system-on-a-chips. In this paper, a scan chain reordering algorithm for code-based test data compression techniques is proposed. Scan cells within an acceptable relocation distance are ranked to reduce the number of conflicts in all test patterns and rearranged by a positioning algorithm to minimize the routing overhead. The proposed method is demonstrated on ISCAS '89 benchmark circuits with their physical layout by using a 180 nm CMOS process library. Significant improvements are observed in compression ratio and test power consumption with minor routing overhead.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1985.10a
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• pp.47-49
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• 1985

In most of ultrasonic NDT(Non-Destructive Testing) equipments using A-scan display technic, it is one of the inconveniences that the user must be proficient in reading the displayed signals for the accurate decisions. In this study, a simple microprocessorized NDT machine for the flaw detection was developed. The operation of system is based on the conventional NDT system. The microprocessor detects the time delay between transmitted pulse and echos by counter-measure method. Then according to the scanning position, the location of flaw orthe other side of testing object is plotted on the CRT. The main advantages of the developed system are simplicity in handling, recording capability of measured data, and low cost.