Multiple stuck-at-fault detection theorem

Abstract

The paper discusses the problem of testing multiple faults in combinational circuits. A definition of a test group is introduced for easier handling of fault masking. Test pair, as a known concept for proving correctness of a line in the circuit is regarded as a special case of the test group. A theorem is proved that if the test group will pass then a particular sub-circuit can be regarded as fault free at any possible combination of stuck-at-faults (SAF) in the circuit. Unlike the traditional approaches, we do not target the faults as test objectives. The goal is to verify the correctness of a part of the circuit. The whole test sequence is presented as a set of test groups where each group has the goal to identify the correctness of a selected part of a circuit.