Coefficient-Based Test of Parametric Faults in Analog Circuits

Abstract

Coefficient-based test (CBT) is introduced for detecting parametric faults in analog circuits. The method uses pseudo Monte Carlo simulation and system-identification tools to determine whether a given circuit under test (CUT) is faulty. From the circuit description, and component tolerance specifications, the tolerance boxes of all circuit transfer-function coefficients are precomputed and used during the test. Using input/output signal information, the test procedure attempts to extract the CUT's transfer function. When this extraction is complete-if one or more of these measured transfer-function coefficients are found to be outside their tolerance boxes-the circuit is declared faulty.