Salvaging test windows in BIST diagnostics

This paper uses the STUMPS architecture to study the properties of a new diagnostic procedure. According to the old procedure, the process stops at the end of each test window to compare the measured signature against its precomputed value. The old procedure also calls for the abandonment of all future test windows after the first failing one is encountered. This is due to the unavailability of expected future test window signatures in the presence of a previously captured error. This paper shows a simple method of salvaging future test windows by adjusting their expected signatures to fit past observed errors. Experiments conducted using this new procedure reveal an improvement of at least one order of magnitude in diagnostic resolution over what has been previously experienced.