Exploiting Don't Cares to Enhance Functional Tests

Authors

Mark W. Weiss, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Sharad C. Seth, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Shashank K. Mehta, Pune UniversityFollow
Kent L. Einspahr, Concordia University, Seward, NEFollow

Date of this Version

2000

Comments

Published in ITC INTERNATIONAL TEST CONFERENCE, 2000. Copyright 2000 IEEE. Used by permission.

Abstract

In simulation based design verification, deterministic or pseudo-random tests are used to check functional correctness of a design. In this paper we present a technique generating tests by specifying the don’t care inputs in the functional specifications so as to improve their coverage of both design errors and manufacturing faults. The don’t cares are chosen to maximize sensitization of signals in the circuit. The tests generated in this way require only a fraction of pseudo-exhaustive test patterns to achieve a high multiplicity of fault coverage.