Systems and methods providing scan-based delay test generation

• US 6,769,101 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcom International Pte Ltd. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Stong, Gayvin E
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US10/144,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 716/1, 716/4, 716/5, 716/6, 714/30, 714/724-745, 324/765, 324/212.212, 324/763-764
• US Class Current: 716/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318328 for delay tests
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31858 Delay testing

Abstract

Chip analyzer systems and methods are provided to partition chip designs into smaller blocks in order to test speed paths more efficiently for integrated circuits. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system includes a chip analyzer and an automatic test generator. The chip analyzer partitions information corresponding to the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configuration blocks, and creates a model of a selected circuit configuration block in the integrated circuit. The automatic test generator receives the model from the chip analyzer, and creates tests from the model to determine the correctness of the integrated circuit. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the method partitions the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configurations, and selects a circuit configuration on the integrated circuit to be tested. Then, the method identifies logic driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration of the integrated circuit; and identifies logic driving output logic in the selected circuit configuration of the integrated circuit.

Claims

1. A method for testing an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:

partitioning a model of the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configurations;

selecting one of the plurality of circuit configurations;

identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration;

identifying output logic outside the selected circuit configuration being driven by the selected circuit configuration;

identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration that is driving the output logic; and

providing information describing the selected circuit configuration, the logic driving the input logic, the output logic, and the logic driving the output logic to a test program configured to use the information to generate test patterns to be used for speed-testing the selected circuit configuration.

2. A method for testing an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:

partitioning a model of the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configurations;

selecting one of the plurality of circuit configurations;

identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration;

identifying output logic outside the selected circuit configuration being driven by the selected circuit configuration;

identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration that is driving the output logic; and

identifying second level registers driving the input logic in the selected circuit configuration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of identifying logic driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration further comprises:

identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration driving the second level registers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of identifying logic driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration further comprises:

identifying first level registers driving the logic outside the selected circuit configuration.

5. A system for testing an integrated circuit, comprising:

means for partitioning a model of the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configurations;

means for selecting one of the plurality of circuit configurations;

means for identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration;

means for identifying output logic outside the selected circuit configuration being driven by the selected circuit configuration;

means for identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration that is driving the output logic; and

means for providing information describing the selected circuit configuration, the logic driving the input logic, the output logic, and the logic driving the output logic to a test program configured to use the information to generate test patterns to be used for speed-testing the selected circuit configuration.

6. A system for testing an integrated circuit, comprising:

means for partitioning a model of the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configurations;

means for selecting one of the plurality of circuit configurations;

means for identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration;

means for identifying output logic outside the selected circuit configuration being driven by the selected circuit configuration;

means for identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration that is driving the output logic; and

means for identifying second level registers driving the input logic in the selected circuit configuration.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for identifying logic outside the selected circuit configuration driving the second level registers.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for identifying first level registers driving the logic outside the selected circuit configuration.

9. A computer readable storage medium containing program code for testing an integrated circuit, comprising:

a first code segment configured to partition a model of the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configurations;

a second code segment configured to select one of the plurality of circuit configurations;

a third code segment configured to identify logic driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration; and

a fourth code segment configured to identify output logic outside the selected circuit configuration being driven by the selected circuit configuration; and

a fifth code segment configured to identify logic outside the selected circuit configuration that is driving the output logic; and

a sixth code segment configured to provide information describing the selected circuit configuration, the logic driving the input logic, the output logic, and the logic driving the output logic to a test program configured to use the information to generate test patterns to be used for speed-testing the selected circuit configuration.

10. A computer readable storage medium containing program code for testing an integrated circuit, comprising:

a first code segment configured to partition a model of the integrated circuit into a plurality of circuit configurations;

a second code segment configured to select one of the plurality of circuit configurations;

a third code segment configured to identify logic driving input logic in the selected circuit configuration; and

a fourth code segment configured to identify output logic outside the selected circuit configuration being driven by the selected circuit configuration; and

a fifth code segment configured to identify logic outside the selected circuit configuration that is driving the output logic; and

wherein said third code segment is further configured to identify second level registers driving the input logic the selected circuit configuration.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said third code segment is further configured to identify logic outside the selected circuit configuration driving the second level registers.