A quasi-optimal scheduling of intermediate signatures for multiple signature analysis compaction testing schemes

In this article, a strategy based on the use of intermediate signatures is proposed that enables the exact fault coverage of compact testing schemes to be determined in a feasible computation time. Two models to predict fault simulation time, a fault simulator dependent and independent model, are developed and used by a dynamic programming based algorithm to find the optimal scheduling of the signatures with respect to the total simulation time. Simulation results for both models are then presented demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed strategy.This work was supported in part by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, the Canadian Microelectronics Corporation (CMC) and the British Columbia Advanced Systems Institute (B.C. A.S.I.).