Reverse Low-Power Broadside Tests

Abstract

This paper defines a new type of a low-power broadside test, called a reverse low-power broadside test, whose application requires design-for-testability logic. The unique feature of a reverse low-power broadside test is that it duplicates the switching activity during the second functional capture cycle of a given low-power broadside test, except that signal-transitions are reversed. Thus, the switching activity of a reverse low-power broadside test duplicates that of a low-power broadside test in every subcircuit and on every line individually. In addition, the reversed test detects different faults, and can thus increase the fault coverage of a low-power broadside test set. The paper studies the ability of reverse low-power broadside tests to increase the transition fault coverage in benchmark circuits considering functional broadside tests as well as low-power broadside tests that are not functional.