Abstract: A software and hardware system and an associated methodology provides ATE-independent go/no-go testing as well as advanced failure diagnosis of integrated circuits for silicon debug, process characterization, production (volume) testing, and system diagnosis comprises an embedded test architecture designed within an integrated circuit; means for seamlessly transferring information between the integrated circuit and its external environment; and an external environment that effectuates the seamless transfer for the user to perform relevant test and diagnosis.

Abstract: A software and hardware system and an associated methodology provides ATE-independent go/no-go testing as well as advanced failure diagnosis of integrated circuits for silicon debug, process characterization, production (volume) testing, and system diagnosis comprises an embedded test architecture designed within an integrated circuit; means for seamlessly transferring information between the integrated circuit and its external environment; and an external environment that effectuates the seamless transfer for the user to perform relevant test and diagnosis.

Abstract: A system for testing circuits includes a tester having a pattern memory for storing test vectors; an object database to store a persistent vector pattern object including a pattern of test vectors; and an object-oriented database management server process. The server process is a computer program configured to run on a server processor in communication with the object database. The server process and the tester operate together to obtain the vector pattern object from the object database and to load the pattern of test vectors from the object into the pattern memory. The tester can have a processor to run a database client process. The vector pattern object can include member functions to modify the vector pattern.