Inter-Domain Power Element Testing via Scan Chains
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current system-on-chip (SOC) designs face challenges in testing thousands of inter-domain devices due to difficulty in accessing these devices, which affects the quality and reliability of SOC operations.
Innovation Solution
The development of inter-domain device testing systems that utilize scan chains and wrapper devices to serially connect and test level shifters and isolation cells across power domains, enabling efficient detection of defective devices by shifting test data and capturing output data for comparison against expected voltage ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional testing methods are used for inter-domain devices, then the testing process becomes extremely complex and time-consuming, but the difficulty in accessing these devices prevents effective testing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces scan chains as intermediary structures that connect test access ports (TAPs) to inter-domain devices through existing signal paths. These scan chains act as mediators that enable test data to be shifted into and out of previously inaccessible devices without requiring direct physical access or complex external testing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes existing signal paths and wrapper devices serve dual functions: their original operational function during normal SOC operation, and test access function during testing. By configuring existing infrastructure to perform both operational and testing roles, the system avoids adding dedicated testing hardware while still enabling comprehensive inter-domain device testing.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If scan chains are used to access inter-domain devices, then testing capability is improved, but the number of devices to be tested increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large number of inter-domain devices into groups that can be tested through separate scan chains. Each scan chain is configured to access a specific subset of devices, allowing the testing process to be divided into manageable segments that can be executed systematically rather than attempting to test all devices simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a hierarchical testing structure where scan chains are nested within the existing SOC architecture, utilizing wrapper devices that are already present around inter-domain devices. This nested approach allows test access to be embedded within the operational structure, enabling testing of numerous devices through a layered configuration rather than requiring separate external access for each device.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and circuitries are disclosed to test an inter-domain device that is positioned in a signal path between a first output wrapper device in a first module and a first input wrapper device in a second module. In one example, a testing system includes an output scan chain that includes the first output wrapper device and an input scan chain that includes the first input wrapper device. A controller is configured to: provide an output scan enable signal to the output scan chain to cause test data to be stored in the first output wrapper device; capture, with the first input wrapper device, inter-domain device data output; provide an input scan enable signal to the input scan chain to cause the inter-domain device data to be output by an output scan chain serial output; and determine whether the inter-domain device data indicates that the inter-domain device is defective.