CELLULAR AUTOMATA-BASED SIGNATURE ANALYSIS FOR BUILT-IN SELF-TEST

A variation on a built-in self-test technique termed cellular automata-based logic block observation (CALBO) has been presented elsewhere [1]. This circuit improves upon conventional design for testability circuitry such as BILBO as a direct consequence of reduced cross-correlation between the bit streams which are used as inputs to the logic unit under test. In addition, these cellular automata implementations exhibit locality and topological regularity, important attributes for a VLSI implementation. In this work, relevant signature analysis properties for elementary one-dimensional cellular automata are presented. It is found that cellular automata with cyclic-group rules provide comparable signature analysis properties to the LFSR. Finally, a technique of using CALBO for both test pattern generation and signature analysis, in a similar manner to a typical BILBO implementation, is presented. © 1990 IEEE