A unified method for assembling global test schedules

Abstract

In order to make a register transfer structure testable, it is usually divided into functional blocks that can be tested independently by various test methods. The test patterns are shifted in or generated autonomously at the inputs of each block. The test responses of a block are compacted or observed at its output register. In this paper a unified method for assembling all the single tests to a global schedule is presented. It is compatible with a variety of different test methods. The described scheduling procedures reduce the overall test time and minimize the number of internal registers that have to be made directly observable.