Functional testing of linear circuits using transient response analysis

The impulse response of a linear circuit element contains enough information to functionally characterize that element. A numerical technique for the comparison of observed and expected (reference) transient responses is presented. The application of this technique results in an index, which is an absolute measure of device functionality, and real-time pass/fail limits are then set by simulating functional defects in the device under test and noting the magnitude of the indices generated. Comparisons of transient response test results with the results obtained from conventional test programs are presented for D/A converters.