Inter-domain power element testing using scan

• US 11,047,909 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2019
• Issued: 06/29/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maxlinear Incorporated
• Inventors: Kukreja, Himanshu, Ahmad, Shakil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Application Number:
  US16/281,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31712 Input or output aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31721 Power aspects, e.g. power supplies for test circuits, power saving during test for scan test G01R31/318575
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3177 Testing of logic operation, e.g. by logic analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318555 Control logic
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318558 Addressing or selecting of subparts of the device under test

Abstract

Systems, methods, and circuitries are disclosed to test an inter-domain device that is positioned in a signal path between a first output wrapper device in a first module and a first input wrapper device in a second module. In one example, a testing system includes an output scan chain that includes the first output wrapper device and an input scan chain that includes the first input wrapper device. A controller is configured to: provide an output scan enable signal to the output scan chain to cause test data to be stored in the first output wrapper device; capture, with the first input wrapper device, inter-domain device data output; provide an input scan enable signal to the input scan chain to cause the inter-domain device data to be output by an output scan chain serial output; and determine whether the inter-domain device data indicates that the inter-domain device is defective.

Claims

1. A system configured to test an inter-domain device that is positioned in a signal path between a first output wrapper device in a first module and a first input wrapper device in a second module, the system comprising:

an output scan chain comprising the first output wrapper device and at least a second output wrapper device in the first module;

an input scan chain comprising the first input wrapper device; and

a controller configured to;

provide an output scan enable signal to the output scan chain to cause test data to be stored in the first output wrapper device;

capture, with the first input wrapper device, inter-domain device data that is output by the inter-domain device;

provide an input scan enable signal to the input scan chain to cause the inter-domain device data to be output by an output scan chain serial output;

determine whether the inter-domain device data indicates that the inter-domain device is defective; and

provide a defect signal in response to determining that the inter-domain device is defective.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

wherein the first output wrapper device is selectively serially connected to the second output wrapper device such that, in response to the output scan enable signal, data input to an output scan chain serial input shifts into the first output wrapper device and then into the second output wrapper device; and

the input scan chain comprises the first input wrapper device and at least a second input wrapper device in the second module, wherein the first input wrapper device is selectively serially connected to the second input wrapper device such that, in response to the input scan enable signal, data in the first input wrapper device shifts into the second input wrapper device and then out of the input scan chain serial output.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first output wrapper device and the first input wrapper device comprise a register.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first output wrapper device and the first input wrapper device comprise a flip-flop.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the inter-domain device comprises a level shifter; and

the controller is configured to;

determine a voltage magnitude of the inter-domain device data output by the input scan chain serial output; and

in response to the voltage magnitude falling outside of an expected range, provide a defect signal that indicates that the level shifter is defective.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the test data comprises a series of 1 data values.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the inter-domain device comprises an isolation cell; and

the controller is configured to;

provide an isolation enable signal to the isolation cell prior to capturing the inter-domain device data;

determine whether the inter-domain device data corresponds to a clamp value for the isolation cell; and

in response to determining that the inter-domain device data does not correspond to the clamp value, provide a defect signal that indicates that the isolation cell is defective.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first module and second module are in different power domains.

9. A method configured to test an inter-domain device that is positioned in a signal path between a first output wrapper device in a first module and a first input wrapper device in a second module, the method comprising:

providing an output scan chain comprising the first output wrapper device;

providing an input scan chain comprising the first input wrapper device; and

providing an output scan enable signal to the output scan chain to cause test data to be stored in the first output wrapper device;

capturing, with the first input wrapper device, inter-domain device data that is output by the inter-domain device;

providing an input scan enable signal to the input scan chain to cause the inter-domain device data to be output by an output scan chain serial output;

determining whether the inter-domain device data indicates that the inter-domain device is defective; and

in response to a determination that the inter-domain device data does not correspond to a clamp value, providing a defect signal in response to determining that the inter-domain device is defective.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing the output scan enable signal to the output scan chain to cause the test data to be shifted into the first output wrapper device and then into a second output wrapper device selectively serially connected to the first output wrapper device; and

providing the input scan enable signal to the input scan chain to cause the inter-domain device data captured in the first input wrapper device to shift into a second input wrapper device selectively serially connected to the first input wrapper device and then out of the input scan chain serial output.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein one or both of the first output wrapper device and the first input wrapper device comprise a register.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein one or both of the first output wrapper device and the first input wrapper device comprise a flip-flop.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a voltage magnitude of the inter-domain device data output by the input scan chain serial output; and

in response to the voltage magnitude falling outside of an expected range, provide a defect signal that indicates that the inter-domain device is defective.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing test data comprising a series of 1 data values to be stored in the first output wrapper device.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing an isolation enable signal to the inter-domain device prior to capturing the inter-domain device data; and

determining whether the inter-domain device data corresponds to a clamp value for the inter-domain device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first module and second module are in different power domains.

17. Non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed cause a system to perform corresponding functions, the functions comprising:

providing an output scan enable signal to an output scan chain to cause test data to be stored in a first output wrapper device;

providing an input scan enable signal to an input scan chain to cause inter-domain device data to be output by an output scan chain serial output, wherein the input scan chain comprises a first input wrapper device and at least a second input wrapper device;

determining whether the inter-domain device data indicates that the inter-domain device is defective; and

providing a defect signal in response to determining that the inter-domain device is defective.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions, that when executed cause the system to:

determine a voltage magnitude of the inter-domain device data output by the input scan chain serial output; and

in response to the voltage magnitude falling outside of an expected range, provide a defect signal that indicates that the inter-domain device is defective.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions, that when executed cause the system to cause test data comprising a series of 1 data values to be stored in the first output wrapper device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions, that when executed cause the system to:

provide an isolation enable signal to the inter-domain device prior to capturing the inter-domain device data;

determine whether the inter-domain device data corresponds to a clamp value for the inter-domain device; and

in response to determining that the inter-domain device data does not correspond to the clamp value, provide a defect signal that indicates that the inter-domain device is defective.