IC Failure Detection via Boolean Derivative Testing

The alarm signal is segmented into multiple independent alarm signals, each derived from different subsets of the alarm condition. This segmentation ensures that a single point failure cannot affect all alarm signals simultaneously, while the automated generation process manages the complexity of creating and maintaining these segmented signals.

The system performs preliminary action by automatically generating diversified alarm signals during the design phase using ATPG methods. This preliminary automation prevents manual implementation errors and ensures that the diversification is properly established before the circuit is manufactured, avoiding the need for complex manual wiring and reducing the risk of missed signals.

The system creates copies of test vectors and state data through automated pattern generation. Instead of manually creating complex test scenarios, the ATPG methodology automatically generates multiple copies of test vectors that can be systematically applied to detect single points of failure, reducing the complexity of the detection process while maintaining high detection capability.

The ATPG-based detection method incorporates feedback loops where test results are analyzed and used to generate improved test vectors. This feedback mechanism automatically refines the detection process, identifying single points of failure more efficiently without requiring manual intervention to increase complexity, as the system learns and adapts from each test iteration.

The system applies local quality by creating alarm signals with different local characteristics - each alarm signal is derived from different local subsets of the alarm condition and different local wires. This ensures that even if an attacker can access certain local areas with FIB, they cannot easily cancel all alarm signals, as each alarm has its own local quality and dependency on different circuit elements.

The invention transitions from a single-dimension alarm signal to a multi-dimensional alarm system where alarms are diversified across multiple dimensions - different signal paths, different logical derivations, and different physical locations. This dimensional diversification makes FIB attacks more difficult because the attacker would need to successfully edit multiple independent elements across different dimensions of the circuit rather than a single vulnerable wire.