Reducing test application time through test data mutation encoding

In this paper we propose a new compression algorithm geared to reduce the time needed to test scan-based designs. Our scheme compresses the test vector set by encoding the bits that need to be flipped in the current test data slice in order to obtain the mutated subsequent test data slice. Exploitation of the overlap in the encoded data by effective traversal search algorithms results in drastic overall compression. The technique we propose can be utilized as not only a stand-alone technique but also can be utilized on test data already compressed, extracting even further compression. The performance of the algorithm is mathematically analyzed and its merits experimentally confirmed on the larger examples of the ISCAS '89 benchmark circuits.