Unified data path allocation and BIST intrusion

摘要

This paper deals with an approach to the automatic synthesis of self-testable data paths. A self-testable data path contains some test registers that increase its area. Classical approaches synthesizing minimum area data paths and then adding minimum number of test registers to it do not lead to data paths with minimum global area. Testability consideration during synthesis makes design search more efficient and hence can possibly find self-testable data paths with minimum area. We present a model to evaluate the testabiltiy of data paths that is used when data path allocation is being doen. Moreover, we propose some heuristics that guide the deisgn space search during allocaion, to save exploraion time. When each allocation decision has to be made, an implementation alernative is chosen according to the area and testability increments tha the alternative produces, so that the area is only increased when the testability gain is worth it.