Test Set Determination for Electronic Component Corner Cases
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Solution Overview
Problem
Corner tests for electronic components are time-consuming and costly due to the exponential increase in testing and simulation time as the number of operating parameters grows, making exhaustive testing impractical and potentially leading to undetected application failures.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine compressed test sets of operating parameter values that guarantee 100% coverage of corner cases by subdividing corner cases into subcorner conditions, reducing the number of test runs through optimization and selection processes, allowing for feasible testing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If exhaustive corner testing is performed to ensure 100% coverage of all corner cases, then testing completeness is improved, but testing time increases exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the exhaustive corner testing space into smaller intermediate sets based on combinations of operating parameters. By dividing the full parameter space into manageable segments and testing representative samples from each segment, the method achieves comprehensive coverage without requiring exponential test runs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by selecting a subset of corner cases that provides sufficient coverage. Instead of testing all possible corner combinations, the method identifies and tests representative corner cases that capture the essential behavior, achieving adequate reliability without exhaustive testing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of operating parameters increases to cover more verification scenarios, then verification coverage is improved, but the number of required test runs increases exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the verification space by creating intermediate sets that group parameters in combinations. This segmentation allows the system to handle a large number of operating parameters by processing them in organized groups rather than as individual exhaustive combinations, maintaining productivity while expanding verification coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal testing framework that can handle any number of operating parameters through a standardized process of generating intermediate sets and selecting test cases. This multi-functional approach allows the same methodology to scale from few to many parameters without requiring different testing strategies.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining test sets of operating parameter values for an electronic component, the method including: determining a first set of intermediate sets, each intermediate set containing a combination of a first number of operating parameters of the electronic component; determining a second set of reference sets, wherein the second set contains a union of sets, each set comprising all possible combinations of parameter values for the parameters of a respective intermediate set; selecting a third set with a second number of test sets out of a set of predefined sets, wherein each predefined set comprises a different combination of the parameter values for all parameters from the predefined parameter set, such that the second set is a subset of a union of a number of sets, each set comprising all possible combinations of the first number of parameter values for all parameters of a respective test set.