Hierarchical Test Generation Based on Delayed Propagation

Abstract

A hierarchical test generation method is presented which is based on a functional approach to guide backward and forward propagations. The proposed algorithm permits solving most propagation conflicts by taking advantage of the functionality of the implemented block and avoids costly unnecessary design modifications. It has been implemented and its effectiveness has been proved on a set of datapaths. The formalism and the algorithms are general enough to handle any type of synchronous digital circuit.