Patents by Inventor Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang

Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8543950
    Abstract: A method and system to automate scan synthesis at register-transfer level (RTL). The method and system will produce scan HDL code modeled at RTL for an integrated circuit modeled at RTL. The method and system comprise computer-implemented steps of performing RTL testability analysis, clock-domain minimization, scan selection, test point selection, scan repair and test point insertion, scan replacement and scan stitching, scan extraction, interactive scan debug, interactive scan repair, and flush/random test bench generation. In addition, the present invention further comprises a method and system for hierarchical scan synthesis by performing scan synthesis module-by-module and then stitching these scanned modules together at top-level. The present invention further comprises integrating and verifying the scan HDL code with other design-for-test (DFT) HDL code, including boundary-scan and logic BIST (built-in self-test).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Augusli Kifli, Fei-Sheng Hsu, Shih-Chia Kao, Xiaoqing Wen, Shyh-Horng Lin, Hsin-Po Wang
  • Publication number: 20120331361
    Abstract: A broadcaster, system, and method for reducing test data volume and test application time in an ATE (automatic test equipment) in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains multiple scan chains, each scan chain comprising multiple scan cells coupled in series. The broadcaster is a combinational logic network coupled to an optional virtual scan controller and an optional scan connector. The virtual scan controller controls the operation of the broadcaster. The system transmits virtual scan patterns stored in the ATE and generates broadcast scan patterns through the broadcaster for testing manufacturing faults in the scan-based integrated circuit. The number of scan chains that can be supported by the ATE is significantly increased. Methods are further proposed to reorder scan cells in selected scan chains, to generate the broadcast scan patterns and virtual scan patterns, and to synthesize the broadcaster and a compactor in the scan-based integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) WANG
  • Publication number: 20120246604
    Abstract: A method and system to automate scan synthesis at register-transfer level (RTL). The method and system will produce scan HDL code modeled at RTL for an integrated circuit modeled at RTL. The method and system comprise computer-implemented steps of performing RTL testability analysis, clock-domain minimization, scan selection, test point selection, scan repair and test point insertion, scan replacement and scan stitching, scan extraction, interactive scan debug, interactive scan repair, and flush/random test bench generation. In addition, the present invention further comprises a method and system for hierarchical scan synthesis by performing scan synthesis module-by-module and then stitching these scanned modules together at top-level. The present invention further comprises integrating and verifying the scan HDL code with other design-for-test (DFT) HDL code, including boundary-scan and logic BIST (built-in self-test).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L. -T.) WANG, Augusli Kifli, Fei-Sheng Hsu, Shih-Chia Kao, Xiaoqing Wen, Shyh-Horag Lin, Hsin-Po Wang
  • Publication number: 20110197171
    Abstract: A method and system to automate scan synthesis at register-transfer level (RTL). The method and system will produce scan HDL code modeled at RTL for an integrated circuit modeled at RTL. The method and system comprise computer-implemented steps of performing RTL testability analysis, clock-domain minimization, scan selection, test point selection, scan repair and test point insertion, scan replacement and scan stitching, scan extraction, interactive scan debug, interactive scan repair, and flush/random test bench generation. In addition, the present invention further comprises a method and system for hierarchical scan synthesis by performing scan synthesis module-by-module and then stitching these scanned modules together at top-level. The present invention further comprises integrating and verifying the scan HDL code with other design-for-test (DFT) HDL code, including boundary-scan and logic BIST (built-in self-test).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) WANG, Xiaoqing Wen
  • Patent number: 7945833
    Abstract: A pipelined scan compression method and apparatus for reducing test data volume and test application time in a scan-based integrated circuit without reducing the speed of the scan chain operation in scan-test mode or self-test mode. The scan-based integrated circuit contains one or more scan chains, each scan chain comprising one or more scan cells coupled in series. The method and apparatus includes a decompressor comprising one or more shift registers, a combinational logic network, and an optional scan connector. The decompressor decompresses a compressed scan pattern on its compressed scan inputs and drives the generated decompressed scan pattern at the output of the decompressor to the scan data inputs of the scan-based integrated circuit. Any input constraints imposed by said combinational logic network are incorporated into an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) program for generating the compressed scan pattern for one or more selected faults in one-step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Nur A. Touba, Boryau (Jack) Sheu, Shianling Wu, Zhigang Jiang
  • Patent number: 7945830
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing or diagnosing faults in a scan-based integrated circuit using a unified self-test and scan-test technique. The method and apparatus comprises using a unified test controller to ease prototype debug and production test. The unified test controller further comprises using a capture clock generator and a plurality of domain clock generators each embedded in a clock domain to perform self-test or scan-test. The capture clocks generated by the capture clock generator are used to guide at-speed or reduced-speed self-test (or scan-test) within each clock domain. The frequency of these capture clocks can be totally unrelated to those of system clocks controlling the clock domains. This unified approach allows designers to test or diagnose stuck-type and non-stuck-type faults with a low-cost DFT (design-for-test) tester or a low-cost DFT debugger. A computer-aided design (CAD) method is further developed to realize the method and synthesize the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Xiaoqing Wen
  • Patent number: 7925947
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compacting test responses containing unknown (X) values in a scan-based integrated circuit using an X-canceling multiple-input signature register (MISR) to produce a known (non-X) signature. The known (non-X) signature is obtained by selectively exclusive-ORing (XORing) together combinations of MISR bits which are linearly dependent in terms of the unknown (X) values using a selective XOR network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nur A. Touba, Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang
  • Patent number: 7904773
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing ordered capture clocks to detect or locate faults within N clock domains and faults crossing any two clock domains in a scan-based integrated circuit or circuit assembly in self-test or scan-test mode, where N>1 and each domain has a plurality of scan cells. The method and apparatus will apply an ordered sequence of capture clocks to all scan cells within N clock domains where one or more capture clocks must contain one or more shift clock pulses during the capture operation. A computer-aided design (CAD) method is further developed to realize the method and synthesize the apparatus. In order to further improve the circuit's fault coverage, a CAD method and apparatus are further developed to minimize the memory usage and generate scan patterns for full-scan and feed-forward partial-scan designs containing transparent storage cells, asynchronous set/reset signals, tri-state busses, and low-power gated clocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L. T.) Wang, Meng-Chyi Lin, Xiaoqing Wen, Hsin-Po Wang, Chi-Chan Hsu, Shih-Chia Kao, Fei-Sheng Hsu
  • Publication number: 20100218062
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing or diagnosing faults in a scan-based integrated circuit using a unified self-test and scan-test technique. The method and apparatus comprises using a unified test controller to ease prototype debug and production test. The unified test controller further comprises using a capture clock generator and a plurality of domain clock generators each embedded in a clock domain to perform self-test or scan-test. The capture clocks generated by the capture clock generator are used to guide at-speed or reduced-speed self-test (or scan-test) within each clock domain. The frequency of these capture clocks can be totally unrelated to those of system clocks controlling the clock domains. This unified approach allows designers to test or diagnose stuck-type and non-stuck-type faults with a low-cost DFT (design-for-test) tester or a low-cost DFT debugger. A computer-aided design (CAD) method is further developed to realize the method and synthesize the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) WANG, Xiaoqing Wen
  • Patent number: 7779322
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compacting test responses containing unknown values in a scan-based integrated circuit. The proposed X-driven compactor comprises a chain-switching matrix block and a space compaction logic block. The chain-switching matrix block switches the internal scan chain outputs before feeding them to the space compaction logic block for compaction so as to minimize X-induced masking and error masking. The X-driven compactor further selectively includes a finite-memory compaction logic block to further compact the outputs of the space compaction logic block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhigang Wang, Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Shianling Wu, Xiaoqing Wen, Boryau (Jack) Sheu, Zhigang Jiang
  • Patent number: 7735049
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for selectively masking off unknown (‘x’) captured scan data in first selected scan cells 220 from propagating through the scan chains 221 for test, debug, diagnosis, and yield improvement of a scan-based integrated circuit 207 in a selected scan-test mode 232 or selected self-test mode. The scan-based integrated circuit 207 contains a plurality of scan chains 221, a plurality of pattern generators 208, a plurality of pattern compactors 213, with each scan chain 221 comprising multiple scan cells 220, 222 coupled in series. The method and apparatus further includes an output-mask controller 211 and an output-mask network 212 embedded on the scan data input path of second selected scan cells 222, or a set/reset controller controlling selected set/reset inputs of second selected scan cells. A synthesis method is also proposed for synthesizing the output-mask controller 211 and the set/reset controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Xiaoqing Wen, Boryau (Jack) Sheu
  • Patent number: 7721172
    Abstract: A broadcaster, system, and method for reducing test data volume and test application time in an ATE (automatic test equipment) in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains multiple scan chains, each scan chain comprising multiple scan cells coupled in series. The broadcaster is a combinational logic network coupled to an optional virtual scan controller and an optional scan connector. The virtual scan controller controls the operation of the broadcaster. The system transmits virtual scan patterns stored in the ATE and generates broadcast scan patterns through the broadcaster for testing manufacturing faults in the scan-based integrated circuit. The number of scan chains that can be supported by the ATE is significantly increased. Methods are further proposed to reorder scan cells in selected scan chains, to generate the broadcast scan patterns and virtual scan patterns, and to synthesize the broadcaster and a compactor in the scan-based integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Boryau (Jack) Sheu, Zhigang Jiang, Zhigang Wang, Shianling Wu
  • Patent number: 7590905
    Abstract: A pipelined scan compression method and apparatus for reducing test data volume and test application time in a scan-based integrated circuit without reducing the speed of the scan chain operation in scan-test mode or self-test mode. The integrated circuit contains one or more scan chains, each scan chain comprising one or more scan cells coupled in series. A decompressor is embedded between N scan chains and M scan chains, where N<M, to broadcast compressed scan data patterns driven through the N scan chains into decompressed scan data patterns stored in the M scan chains. To speed up the shift-in/shift-out operation during decompression, the decompressor can be further split into two or more pipelined decompressors each placed between two sets of intermediate scan chains. The invention further comprises one or more pipelined compressors to speed up the shift-in/shift-out operation during compression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Khader S. Abdel-Hafez, Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Boryau (Jack) Sheu, Shianling Wu
  • Publication number: 20090132880
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing ordered capture clocks to detect or locate faults within N clock domains and faults crossing any two clock domains in an integrated circuit or circuit assembly in self-test or scan-test mode, where N>1 and each domain has a plurality of scan cells. The method and apparatus allows generating and loading N pseudorandom or predetermined stimuli to all the scan cells within the N clock domains in the integrated circuit or circuit assembly during the shift operation, applying an ordered sequence of capture clocks to all the scan cells within the N clock domains during the capture operation, compacting or comparing N output responses of all the scan cells for analysis during the compact/compare operation, and repeating the above process until a predetermined limiting criteria is reached. A computer-aided design (CAD) system is further developed to realize the method and synthesize the apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.- T.) Wang, Po-Ching Hsu, Shih-Chia Kao, Meng-Chyi Lin, Hsin-Po Wang, Hao-Jan Chao, Xiaoqing Wen
  • Publication number: 20090070646
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing ordered capture clocks to detect or locate faults within N clock domains and faults crossing any two clock domains in a scan-based integrated circuit or circuit assembly in self-test or scan-test mode, where N>1 and each domain has a plurality of scan cells. The method and apparatus will apply an ordered sequence of capture clocks to all scan cells within N clock domains where one or more capture clocks must contain one or more shift clock pulses during the capture operation. A computer-aided design (CAD) method is further developed to realize the method and synthesize the apparatus. In order to further improve the circuit's fault coverage, a CAD method and apparatus are further developed to minimize the memory usage and generate scan patterns for full-scan and feed-forward partial-scan designs containing transparent storage cells, asynchronous set/reset signals, tri-state busses, and low-power gated clocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.T.) Wang, Meng-Chyi Lin, Xiaoqing Wen, Hsin-Po Wang, Chi-Chan Hsu, Shih-Chia Kao, Fei-Sheng Hsu
  • Publication number: 20080276143
    Abstract: A broadcaster, system, and method for reducing test data volume and test application time in an ATE (automatic test equipment) in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains multiple scan chains, each scan chain comprising multiple scan cells coupled in series. The broadcaster is a combinational logic network coupled to an optional virtual scan controller and an optional scan connector. The virtual scan controller controls the operation of the broadcaster. The system transmits virtual scan patterns stored in the ATE and generates broadcast scan patterns through the broadcaster for testing manufacturing faults in the scan-based integrated circuit. The number of scan chains that can be supported by the ATE is significantly increased. Methods are further proposed to reorder scan cells in selected scan chains, to generate the broadcast scan patterns and virtual scan patterns, and to synthesize the broadcaster and a compactor in the scan-based integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Boryau (Jack) Sheu, Zhigang Jiang, Zhigang Wang, Shianling Wu
  • Publication number: 20080276141
    Abstract: A broadcaster, system, and method for reducing test data volume and test application time in an ATE (automatic test equipment) in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains multiple scan chains, each scan chain comprising multiple scan cells coupled in series. The broadcaster is a combinational logic network coupled to an optional virtual scan controller and an optional scan connector. The virtual scan controller controls the operation of the broadcaster. The system transmits virtual scan patterns stored in the ATE and generates broadcast scan patterns through the broadcaster for testing manufacturing faults in the scan-based integrated circuit. The number of scan chains that can be supported by the ATE is significantly increased. Methods are further proposed to reorder scan cells in selected scan chains, to generate the broadcast scan patterns and virtual scan patterns, and to synthesize the broadcaster and a compactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Laung-Terng(L.-T.) Wang, Xiaoqing Wen, Shyh-Horng Lin, Khader S. Abdel-Hafez
  • Patent number: 7444567
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing or diagnosing faults in a scan-based integrated circuit using a unified self-test and scan-test technique. The method and apparatus comprises using a unified test controller to ease prototype debug and production test. The unified test controller further comprises using a capture clock generator and a plurality of domain clock generators each embedded in a clock domain to perform self-test or scan-test. The capture clocks generated by the capture clock generator are used to guide at-speed or reduced-speed self-test (or scan-test) within each clock domain. The frequency of these capture clocks can be totally unrelated to those of system clocks controlling the clock domains. This unified approach allows designers to test or diagnose stuck-type and non-stuck-type faults with a low-cost DFT (design-for-test) tester or a low-cost DFT debugger. A computer-aided design (CAD) method is further developed to realize the method and synthesize the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Xiaoqing Wen, Khader S. Abdel-Hafez, Shyh-Horng Lin, Hsin-Po Wang, Ming-Tung Chang, Po-Ching Hsu, Shih-Chia Kao, Meng-Chyi Lin, Chi-Chan Hsu
  • Patent number: 7412637
    Abstract: A broadcaster, system, and method for reducing test data volume and test application time in an ATE (automatic test equipment) in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains multiple scan chains, each scan chain comprising multiple scan cells coupled in series. The broadcaster is a combinational logic network coupled to an optional virtual scan controller and an optional scan connector. The virtual scan controller controls the operation of the broadcaster. The system transmits virtual scan patterns stored in the ATE and generates broadcast scan patterns through the broadcaster for testing manufacturing faults in the scan-based integrated circuit. The number of scan chains that can be supported by the ATE is significantly increased. Methods are further proposed to reorder scan cells in selected scan chains, to generate the broadcast scan patterns and virtual scan patterns, and to synthesize the broadcaster and a compactor in the scan-based integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L.-T.) Wang, Boryau (Jack) Sheu, Zhigang Jiang, Zhigang Wang, Shianling Wu
  • Patent number: 7331032
    Abstract: A method and system to automate scan synthesis at register-transfer level (RTL). The method and system will produce scan HDL code modeled at RTL for an integrated circuit modeled at RTL. The method and system comprise computer-implemented steps of performing RTL testability analysis, clock-domain minimization, scan selection, test point selection, scan repair and test point insertion, scan replacement and scan stitching, scan extraction, interactive scan debug, interactive scan repair, and flush/random test bench generation. In addition, the present invention further comprises a method and system for hierarchical scan synthesis by performing scan synthesis module-by-module and then stitching these scanned modules together at top-level. The present invention further comprises integrating and verifying the scan HDL code with other design-for-test (DFT) HDL code, including boundary-scan and logic BIST (built-in self-test).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Syntest Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Laung-Terng (L. -T.) Wang, Augusli Kifli, Fei-Sheng Hsu, Xiaoqing Wen, Shih-Chia Kao, Shyh-Horng Lin, Hsin-Po Wang