Intel® IBIST, the full vision realized

Third generation Intel® IBIST (IBIST) is the first full featured edition of what was originally envisioned in 1999. The objective was to create a standard infrastructure for validating, debugging, and testing high speed IOs (Input/Output) which could be supported by a common software toolset. This vision was realized in 2009 on Intel products. The IBIST methodology has become a standard at Intel. Today, IBIST is utilized from the very beginning of the product verification including initial power-on silicon debug. It a staple throughout the back-end product validation process and is also utilized in end-customer validation and high volume testing. Intel's platform Reliability, Availability, Serviceability(collectively referred to as RAS) architecture exploits the technology on a number of fronts as well. The content of this paper includes an overview of the problems which mandated this paradigm shift away from the historical IO testing methodologies, an IBIST architectural overview, and the key application spaces addressed by this technology.