Dynamic test signal routing controller
View Patent ↗Integrated circuits with dynamic pin routing capabilities are provided. An integrated circuit may include circuitry under test and a dynamic signal routing controller. The dynamic signal routing controller may include multiplexers, a test register, and a signal select register. The circuitry under test may be connected to internal test lines that receive static test signals and dynamic test signals. The internal test lines that receive static test signals may be selectively routed to the test register (e.g., test registers store static test signals) while the internal test lines that receive dynamic test signals may be selectively routed to test pins (e.g., dynamic test signals are driven through the test pins). Each multiplexer may have a given input that is connected to the test register and additional inputs that are connected to the test pins. The signal select register stores control bits that configure the routing performed by each multiplexer.
1. An integrated circuit having circuitry under test with a test port, wherein the test port includes a plurality of internal test lines, comprising:
a plurality of input-output pins;
a test register having outputs; and
a plurality of multiplexers each of which has a given input that is connected to a respective output of the test register, each of which has other inputs that are connected to the plurality of input-output pins, and each of which has an output connected to a respective one of the internal test lines.
2. The integrated circuit defined in claim 1 , further comprising a scan chain register connected to the test register.
3. The integrated circuit defined in claim 2 , further comprising a signal select register connected to the plurality of multiplexers.
4. The integrated circuit defined in claim 1 , further comprising a scan chain register having data outputs connected in parallel to data inputs in the test register.
5. The integrated circuit defined in claim 4 , further comprising a signal select register that supplies control signals to the plurality of multiplexers to configure each of the plurality of multiplexers to selectively connect one of its inputs to its output.
6. The integrated circuit defined in claim 1 , further comprising a signal select register connected to the plurality of multiplexers, wherein the signal select register is loaded with multiplexer control data.
7. The integrated circuit defined in claim 1 , further comprising a signal select register that configures each of the plurality of multiplexers to selectively connect one of its inputs to its output, wherein at least some of the input-output pins supply test signals.
8. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a plurality of input-output pins that receive dynamic test signals;
a test register;
a plurality of multiplexers each of which has a given input that receives a respective static test signal from the test register, each of which has other inputs that receive the dynamic test signals from the input-output pins, and each of which has an output;
a plurality of internal test lines; and
circuitry under test, wherein the circuitry under test is connected to the plurality of internal test lines, wherein each internal test line is connected to the output of a respective one of the plurality of multiplexers, and wherein each multiplexer is configured to selectively connect one of its inputs to its output.
9. The integrated circuit defined in claim 8 , further comprising a scan chain register connected to the test register, wherein the scan chain register provides the test register with the static test signals.
10. The integrated circuit defined in claim 9 , further comprising a signal select register connected to the plurality of multiplexers.
11. The integrated circuit defined in claim 8 , further comprising a scan chain register connected in parallel with the test register, wherein the scan chain register loads the static test signals in parallel into the test register.
12. The integrated circuit defined in claim 11 , further comprising a signal select register that configures each of the plurality of multiplexers to selectively connect one of its inputs to its output.
13. The integrated circuit defined in claim 8 , further comprising a multiplexer signal select register connected to the plurality of multiplexers.
14. The integrated circuit defined in claim 8 , further comprising a signal select register that is loaded with control data bits and that configures each of the plurality of multiplexers to selectively connect one of its inputs to its output, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a packaged integrated circuit.
15. A method of routing test signals on an integrated circuit having input-output pins, circuitry under test, and a dynamic test signal routing controller, wherein the dynamic test signal routing controller includes a test register, a signal select register, and a plurality of multiplexers each of which has inputs and each of which has an output and wherein the circuitry under test is connected to the outputs of the plurality of multiplexers, the method comprising:
with external equipment, providing dynamic test signals through the input-output pins to at least one of the inputs in each of the plurality of multiplexers;
with the test register, providing a respective static test signal to at least one of the inputs in each of the plurality of multiplexers; and
with the signal select register, configuring each of the plurality of multiplexers to selectively connect one of its inputs to its output.
16. The method defined in claim 15 , further comprising:
with a scan chain register, loading the static test signals into the test register.
17. The method defined in claim 16 , wherein the integrated circuit further includes at least one scan chain test pin, the method further comprising:
with the external equipment, loading multiplexer control bits into the signal select register through the scan chain test pin.
18. The method defined in claim 17 , wherein each multiplexer has a control input and wherein configuring each of the plurality of multiplexers comprises providing at least some of the multiplexer control bits to the control input of each multiplexer.
19. The method defined in claim 15 , wherein the integrated circuit further includes at least one scan chain test pin, the method further comprising:
with the external equipment, loading multiplexer control bits into the signal select register through the scan chain test pin.
20. The method defined in claim 15 , wherein each multiplexer has a control input and wherein configuring each of the plurality of multiplexers comprises providing multiplexer control bits to the control input of each multiplexer.