Not Applicable.
The preferred embodiments relate to boundary scan of integrated circuits and printed circuit boards.
Boundary scan is a method and related circuiting for testing logic, memories, and other circuits on an integrated circuit (IC) or printed circuit board (PCB). Typically for boundary scan, four or five pins are included on an IC, each corresponding to a respective dedicated test access port (TAP) signal for testing interconnects on either the IC or a PCB into which the IC is assembled. Specifically, the TAP signals may be used to determine whether an IC is properly functioning, whether it is connected to the PCB, and also for debugging by observing IC pin states or measured voltages. Testing may be achieved at the time of manufacture, such as by automated testing equipment (ATE), as well as subsequent testing in the field (e.g., once a device has been sold or located in the marketplace). Additional details as well as standardization in connection with boundary scan were developed by the Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) and are specified in an IEEE 1149 standard and its .x sub-standards.
By way of further background,
As indicated in Table 1, pad P4 allows input of JTAG test data and pad P0 allows output thereof, while the remaining pads P1 through P3 provide signals to TAP controller 12. An instruction register 16 stores a current JTAG instruction, typically to indicate the operation to take with respect to signals that are received (e.g., defining to which data register signals should pass). A bypass register 18 is a single bit register that permits TDI to bypass a chain of cells C0 through C15 so as to pass directly from input to output. An ID register 20 is for storing the ID code and revision number for IC 10, thereby allowing IC 10 to be linked to a file that stores boundary scan configuration information for IC 10.
Apart from the JTAG-related pads P0 through P4, each of the remaining IC pads P5 through P15 is connected through a respective boundary scan cell C5 through C15, to functional circuitry 14. Thus, such pads represent the I/O of IC 10, in connection with its intended operation as achieved by functional circuitry 14. In addition, however, and in connection with JTAG testing, each of scan cells C5 through C15 is connected to at least one other scan cell, thereby forming a scan chain whereby for JTAG purposes data may be input by a respective pad to each cell, or captured in each cell from functional circuitry 14, and then such data may be successively shifted along the chain so that it is output from the last such cell C15 as TDO information. In this manner, therefore, the I/O connectivity as well as data states from functional circuitry 14 may be evaluated so as to confirm proper operation of IC 10.
While the preceding has proven effective in IC and PCB testing across numerous architectures, the IEEE 1149.x standard requires that the JTAG pads themselves are not connected to respective scan cells and accordingly by way of example in
In a preferred embodiment, there is an integrated circuit, comprising functional circuitry and testing circuitry. The integrated circuit also comprises a first set of pads operable in a first state for communicating testing signals to the testing circuitry and operable in a second state for communicating input/output signals to the functional circuitry. The integrated circuit also comprises a second set of pads, differing from the first set of pads, operable in the second state for communicating testing signals to the testing circuitry for testing signals associated in the second state with the first set of pads.
Numerous other inventive aspects and preferred embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
Looking to
As introduced above, a first set of pads, namely pads P0 through P4, are shown in
Moreover, each of the Table 1 pads P0 through P4 is connected to a respective switching element S0 through S4 so that in a first state as shown in
IC 200 as shown in
Moreover, in the first state, each of boundary cells C5 through C9 provides an exclusive pass-through connectivity path between a respective pad, through the cell, to functional circuitry 214. Exclusive in this regard is intended to indicate that in a preferred embodiment, each boundary pad only permits pass through between one respective pin and functional circuitry 214. Such connectivity, therefore, allows signals from either the pad or functional circuitry 214 to be captured in a respective cell, and the signal then may be shifted to a next successive cell, in sequential fashion, so that ultimately the signal is provided as output data TDO from the scan cell chain.
IC 200 also includes pads beyond those in the first or second set of pads, where such additional pads may therefore be considered a third set of pads, which are not operable to receive JTAG signals. In the example of
Again, therefore, the exclusive connectivity path between a respective pad, through the cell, to functional circuitry 214, allowing signals from either the pad or functional circuitry 214 to be captured in a respective cell, and the signal may then be shifted to a next successive cell, in sequential fashion, so that ultimately the signal is provided as output data TDO from the scan cell chain.
Completing
Looking to
Each second state JTAG signal is connected to a respective switching element so that in the second state, as shown in
IC 200 as shown in
Moreover, each of boundary cells C0 through C4 is also connected to functional circuitry 214.
Completing
After step 310, method 300 continues to step 320. In step 320, IC 200 is operated in the above-described first state 0, in which case the switching element, multiplexing and de-multiplexing is as shown in
After step 320, method 300 continues to step 330. In step 330, IC 200 is operated in the above-described second state 1, in which case the switching elements, multiplexing and de-multiplexing is as shown in
After step 330, method 300 continues to step 340. In step 340, the second set of pads of IC 200 is re-configured back to the state 0 configuration, after which IC 200 may be operated according to the device specifications and the pad assignments for each pad. In this respect, therefore, note that the second set of pads for IC 200 may be dual purpose pads, serving during testing as JTAG pads (in state 1 testing), and once re-configured in step 340 those pads are connected through respective scan cells to functional circuitry 214. Thereafter, method 300 concludes in step 350.
In addition, associated with cell Cx is a four bit data register 254, where its four bits are connected as follows:
The operation of cell G is as follows. By way of introduction, recall that the IC 200 of
Given the preceding, the preferred embodiments provide improvements in boundary scan of ICs and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Specifically, the preferred embodiment IC allows the sharing of pads so that in a first state those pads may be used for JTAG testing wherein during that state the pins bypass or otherwise are not pass-through connected to the configurable scan chain (although the TDI and TDO pads are serially connected for inputting and outputting data from the chain, rather than passing through data to functional circuitry 214), whereas in a second state the pads are used for non-JTAG signals that are pass-through connected to exclusive respective scan cells and additional pads are used for JTAG testing of the dual-use pads during that second state. Thus, a set of IC pads may serve a second function beyond JTAG testing, such as for a functional interface such as an input/output for a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) or as a serial peripheral interface (SPI). Thus, for low pad count devices such as low power radio frequency devices, a first set of pads may be shared for two different functions, one being JTAG and the other not relating to JTAG, where nonetheless the pads (and associated signals and functions) themselves may be JTAG tested in a state where those pads are not serving as JTAG pads and a second set of JTAG pads are temporarily enabled via a configurable scan chain. Note that reference to “low pad count” may vary based on application or considerations of one skilled in the art, so preferred embodiments may be less than 64 pads, less than 32 pads, or less than 16 pads. Such an approach reduces device cost as the number of pads can be reduced, or full JTAG testing for all pads is enabled in relatively low pad number devices. Thus, preferred embodiments permit 100 percent input/output test coverage on devices sharing JTAG pads for functional interfaces, as may be an important requirement for certain (e.g., safety, automotive) qualification. In addition, board testing typically requires two different access protocols for devices with dual-use pads where one use is JTAG and for which scan chain JTAG testing is not permitted of the dual-use pads because there is no corresponding boundary cells for such pads (i.e., see
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 16/380,182, filed Apr. 10, 2019, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/722,975, filed Oct. 2, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,274,538, which is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 15/143,454 filed Apr. 29, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,791,505, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Child | 15722975 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Child | 17217391 | US | |
Parent | 15722975 | Oct 2017 | US |
Child | 16380182 | US |