With the new cores increasingly incorporating chip I/O circuitry and pads, LogicVision’s new solution enables required I/O DFT structures to be added directly into these cores rather than later at the top level during full chip integration. This new capability results from company’s ongoing aim to meet developing industry test requirements and is indeed a key to maintaining decreased test development costs and faster time-to-market when using these new types of cores.

The chip I/O cells are being placed directly into cores to be closer to the logic they service. This approach usually results in considerable physical design benefits incorporating decreased signal routing and enhanced timing. The boundary scan cells can be added to any core at any hierarchical level within a design. The new solution automates both the integration of the boundary scan cells and verification of the resulting boundary scan segment within the core. This not only maintains and extends the physical design benefits of placing I/O cells directly into cores, but also allows a more efficient core re-use methodology as all design and DFT sign-off activity can take place fully at the core level.

The embedded boundary scan capability is also fully integrated with LogicVision’s ETLogic logic BIST solution and further simplifies integration of logic BIST into cores incorporating embedded I/Os.

Hierarchical designs with embedded I/Os are quickly becoming the norm, stated Stephen Pateras, vice-president of marketing at LogicVision. Our new embedded boundary scan capability represents the remaining component within our family of solutions needed to provide a fully hierarchical DFT flow.

The new embedded boundary scan capability is straight away available and is incorporated within the existing custom option to LogicVision’s ETBoundary product. The ETBoundary Custom option also offers support for the seamless integration and verification of I/O pads incorporating integrated boundary scan cells.

LogicVision is a US-based provider of semiconductor built-in-self-test (BIST) and diagnostic solutions.