A Generalized Approach for Automatic Test Pattern Generation

A generalized approach for designing fault simulators using a library of simulation primitives is presented in this paper. A comprehensive set of simulation primitives has been developed using C programming language on the IBM PC. This library of simulation primitives has been used in realizing a fault simulator for automatic test pattern generation in combinational logic circuits. The fault simulator employs a combination of random pattern generation, concurrent fault simulation, and FAN algorithm for generating the complete set of test vectors to cover all the faults in the fault dictionary of the circuit under test. The library of simulation primitives is general enough to facilitate the development of fault simulators using any other test algorithms such as DALG or PODEM.