Reducing power consumption during test application by test vector ordering

Abstract

This paper considers the problem of testing VLSI integrated circuits without exceeding their power ratings during test. The proposed approach is based on a re-ordering of the vectors in the test sequence to minimize the switching activity of the circuit during test application. Our technique uses the Hamming distance between test vectors and guarantees a decrease in power consumption and heat dissipation without modifying the initial fault coverage. Results of experiments are presented at the end of this paper and shows a reduction of the circuit activity in the range from 8.2 to 54.1% during test application.