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Gary D. Grise, Colchester US

Gary D. Grise, Colchester, VT US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080222472METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC TEST PATTERN GENERATION FOR ONE TEST CONSTRAINT AT A TIME - A method for automatically generating test patterns for an IC device includes initially generating a subset of available test patterns according to each of a plurality of test constraints for the IC device, determining an incremental amount of total test coverage of the IC device attributable to each of the test constraints as a result of the initially generated subset of test patterns therefor; determining the test constraint initially providing the largest amount of incremental test coverage, and thereafter generating another subset of test patterns therefor; and iteratively determining the current test constraint providing the largest amount of incremental test coverage, and continuing to generate additional test patterns therefor until one or more test exit criteria is reached.09-11-2008
20080250279Method of Increasing Path Coverage in Transition Test Generation - A method for automatically generating test patterns for digital logic circuitry using an automatic test pattern generation tool. The method includes generating test patterns and applying faulty behavior to various paths within the digital logic circuitry. As each circuit path is tested, tested circuit nodes along the circuit path are marked as “exercised.” Subsequent test paths are assembled by avoiding marked circuit nodes. In this manner, coverage of paths tested may be increased and many circuit nodes can be tested efficiently.10-09-2008
20080270953IC CHIP AT-FUNCTIONAL-SPEED TESTING WITH PROCESS COVERAGE EVALUATION - Methods, systems and program products for evaluating an IC chip are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes running a statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) of a full IC chip design; creating at-functional-speed test (AFST) robust paths for an IC chip, the created robust paths representing a non-comprehensive list of AFST robust paths for the IC chip; and re-running the SSTA with the SSTA delay model setup based on the created robust paths. A process coverage is calculated for evaluation from the SSTA runnings; and a particular IC chip is evaluated based on the process coverage.10-30-2008
20090055696MICROCONTROLLER FOR LOGIC BUILT-IN SELF TEST (LBIST) - Built-in self-test (BIST) microcontroller integrated circuit adapted for logic verification. Microcontroller includes a plurality of hardware description language files representing a hierarchical description of the microcontroller, the plurality of hardware description language files including a library of circuit design elements, a plurality of library design circuit elements adapted to store a uniquely defined set of input and output signals to enable a logic BIST, and a plurality of latches adapted to store a plurality of values corresponding to a behavioral profile of a test clock.02-26-2009
20090102507DESIGN STRUCTURE FOR SHUTTING OFF DATA CAPTURE ACROSS ASYNCHRONOUS CLOCK DOMAINS DURING AT-SPEED TESTING - A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process includes an apparatus for testing logic devices configured across asynchronous clock domains, including a deactivation mechanism for deactivating, during at-speed fault testing, a local clock signal for each of a first plurality of latches having at least one data input thereto originating from a source located within an asynchronous clock domain with respect thereto; wherein the deactivation mechanism is configured to permit data capture within the first plurality of latches, and wherein the deactivation mechanism is further configured to permit at-speed data launch from the first plurality of latches to downstream latches with respect thereto during at-speed testing.04-23-2009
20090106608APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY IMPLEMENTING LAUNCH OFF SCAN CAPABILITY IN AT SPEED TESTING - An apparatus for selectively implementing launch-off-scan capability in at-speed testing of integrated circuit devices includes a control device configured to selectively disable a master clock signal of a latch structure under test such that a pulse sequence of a system clock signal results in a slave-master-slave clock pulse sequence in the latch structure under test; wherein the control device utilizes the system clock signal as an input thereto and operates in a self-resetting fashion that is timing independent with respect to a scan chain.04-23-2009
20090119629SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AT-SPEED STRUCTURAL TESTS TO IMPROVE PROCESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETER SPACE COVERAGE - A system for enhancing the practicability of at-speed structural testing (ASST). In one embodiment, the system includes first means for performing statistical timing analysis on a design of logic circuitry. A second means performs a criticality analysis on the logic circuitry as a function of the statistical timing analysis so as to determine a criticality probability for each node of the logic circuitry. A third means selects nodes of the logic circuitry as a function of the criticality analysis. A fourth means selects timing paths as a function of the criticality probabilities of the selected nodes. A fifth means generates an ASST pattern for each of the selected timing paths. A sixth mean is provided to perform ASST on a fabricated instantiation of the design at functional speed using the generated ASST pattern.05-07-2009
20090240459INDENTIFYING SEQUENTIAL FUNCTIONAL PATHS FOR IC TESTING METHODS AND SYSTEM - A method and system of identifying sequential functional paths for IC testing methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method may include a method of sequential functional path identification for at-speed structural test, the method comprising: using a timing tool to enumerate a plurality of critical paths in a circuit; identifying which of the plurality of critical paths are sequential functional paths that will function during functional operation of the IC by identifying which of the plurality of critical paths a test can be generated for using a test sequence having n functional capture cycles, where n is greater than 2; performing path test generation for the sequential functional paths using launch-off-scan test sequences; and performing path test generation for critical paths not tested by the launch-of-scan test sequences, using launch-off-capture test sequences having two functional captures.09-24-2009
20090265677INTEGRATED TEST WAVEFORM GENERATOR (TWG) AND CUSTOMER WAVEFORM GENERATOR (CWG), DESIGN STRUCTURE AND METHOD - Disclosed are embodiments of a clock generation circuit, a design structure for the circuit and an associated method that provide deskewing functions and that further provide precise timing for both testing and functional operations. Specifically, the embodiments incorporate a deskewer circuit that is capable of receiving waveform signals from both an external waveform generator and an internal waveform generator. The external waveform generator can generate and supply to the deskewer circuit a pair of waveform signals for functional operations. The internal waveform generator can be uniquely configured with control logic and counter logic for generating and supplying a pair of waveform signals to the deskewer circuit for any one of built-in self-test (BIST) operations, macro-test operations, other test operations or functional operations. The deskewer circuit can selectively gate an input clock signal with the waveform signals from either the external or internal waveform generator in order to generate the required output clock signal.10-22-2009
20100088561FUNCTIONAL FREQUENCY TESTING OF INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A method and circuits for testing an integrated circuit at functional clock frequency by providing a test controller generating control signals that assure proper latching of test patterns in scan chains at tester frequency and propagation of the test pattern through logic circuits being tested at functional clock frequency.04-08-2010
20100088562FUNCTIONAL FREQUENCY TESTING OF INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A method and circuits for testing an integrated circuit at functional clock frequency by providing a test controller generating control signals that assure proper latching of test patterns in scan chains at tester frequency and propagation of the test pattern through logic circuits being tested at functional clock frequency.04-08-2010

Patent applications by Gary D. Grise, Colchester, VT US