Self-synchronous logic circuit having test function and method of testing self-synchronous logic circuit

• US 6,819,140 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Horiyama, Takashi, Yamanaka, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D.
• Application Number:
  US10/448,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20030226083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 326/16, 326/93, 714/726, 714/727, 714/744
• US Class Current: 326/93
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318536 Scan chain arrangements, e.g. connections, test bus, analog signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3869 Implementation aspects, e.g. pipeline latches; pipeline synchronisation and clocking

Abstract

A self-synchronous logic circuit includes scan test compliant registers holding data and forming stages of a pipeline, and scan test compliant self-synchronous signal control circuits corresponding to respective registers and performing handshake to transfer clocks. In accordance with the clocks transferred by the scan test compliant self-synchronous signal control circuits, data processing among the scan test compliant registers proceeds. In addition to normal data processing, the scan test compliant registers have a function of serially transferring contents thereof at the time of a test. The scan test compliant self-synchronous signal control circuits are set to a state that corresponds to the end of a third way of the handshake, at the time of a test.

Claims

1. A self-synchronous logic circuit having a test function, comprising:

registers holding data, connected in a plurality of stages for a pipeline; and

self-synchronous signal control circuits provided corresponding to said registers connected in a plurality of stages, respectively;

wherein

said self-synchronous signal control circuits perform four-way handshake in which, when transfer permission to a preceding stage is applied in a first way, a transfer request from the preceding stage is received as an input together with data output from the register of the preceding stage, upon input of the transfer request, transfer reception is applied to the preceding stage in a second way, when the transfer reception is received as an input by the preceding stage, transfer complete is received as an input from the preceding stage in a third way, and when the transfer complete is received as an input and transfer permission is applied from the succeeding stage in a fourth way, transfer permission is applied to the preceding stage and data from the preceding stage is taken and held by the register and data is output to the succeeding stage to apply transfer request to the succeeding stage; and

said registers have a function of successively transferring data in a normal operation and in a test operation;

said self-synchronous logic circuit setting all said self-synchronous signal control circuits to a state of the third way of said handshake and thereafter, applying transfer permission and transfer reception to said self-synchronous signal control circuit of the last stage in a test operation.

2. The self-synchronous logic circuit having a test function according to claim 1, wherein

setting of all said self-synchronous signal control circuits to a state of the third way of said handshake and application of said transfer permission and transfer reception to said self-synchronous signal control circuit of the last stage are repeated in a test operation.

3. The self-synchronous logic circuit having a test function according to claim 1, further comprising

a last stage signal processing unit for applying, in said test operation, said transfer request output from said self-synchronous signal control circuit of the last stage to the succeeding stage to the self-synchronous signal control circuit itself, as said transfer reception from the succeeding stage.

4. The self-synchronous logic circuit having a test function according to claim 1, wherein

said self-synchronous logic circuit sets all said self-synchronous signal control circuits to a state of the third way of said handshake, applies said transfer permission and transfer reception to said self-synchronous signal control circuit of the last stage of said pipeline, and in addition, said transfer request is applied repeatedly to said self-synchronous signal control circuit of a head stage of said pipeline in the test operation.

5. The self-synchronous logic circuit having a test function according to claim 1, further comprising

a head stage signal processing unit for applying, in said test operation, said transfer request and transfer complete output from said self-synchronous signal control circuit of the head stage of said pipeline to the succeeding stage, to the self-synchronous signal control circuit itself as said transfer request and transfer complete.

6. A method of testing a self-synchronous logic circuit including

registers holding data, connected in a plurality of stages for a pipeline, and

self-synchronous signal control circuits provided corresponding to said registers connected in a plurality of stages, said self-synchronous signal control circuits performing four-way handshake in which, when transfer permission to a preceding stage is applied in a first way, a transfer request from the preceding stage is received as an input together with data output from the register of the preceding stage, upon input of the transfer request, transfer reception is applied to the preceding stage in a second way, when the transfer reception is received as an input by the preceding stage, transfer complete is received as an input from the preceding stage in a third way, and when the transfer complete is received as an input and transfer permission is applied from the succeeding stage in a fourth way, transfer permission is applied to the preceding stage and data from the preceding stage is taken and held by the register and data is output to the succeeding stage to apply transfer request to the succeeding stage;

wherein

said registers have a function of successively transferring said data in a normal operation and in a test operation;

said method comprising

the state setting step of setting all said self-synchronous signal control circuits to a state of the third way of said handshake in a test operation; and

after the setting by said state setting step, applying transfer permission and transfer reception to said self-synchronous signal control circuit of the last stage of said pipeline.