Automatic Test Pattern Generation

This chapter focuses on automatic test pattern generation (ATPG). Historically, ATPG has focused on a set of faults derived from a gate-level fault model. For a given target fault, ATPG consists of two phases: fault activation and fault propagation. The objective of ATPG is to find an input sequence that, when applied to the circuit, enables testers to distinguish between the correct circuit behavior and the faulty circuit behavior caused by a particular fault. Effectiveness of ATPG is measured by the fault coverage achieved for the fault model and the number of generated vectors, which should be directly proportional to test application time. ATPG efficiency is another important consideration. The chapter describes circuit-based Boolean satisfiability techniques for solving circuit-oriented problems. It presents advanced ATPG research topics, such as for delay faults, crosstalk, and power supply noise. The chapter discusses ATPG for design applications including logic optimization and design verification.