Abstract: A method and apparatus for initializing an integrated circuit using compressed data from a remote fusebox allows a reduction in the number of fuses required to repair or customize an integrated circuit and allows fuses to be grouped outside of the macros repaired by the fuses. The remote location of fuses allows flexibility in the placement of macros having redundant repair capability, as well as a preferable grouping of fuses for both programming convenience and circuit layout facilitation. The fuses are arranged in rows and columns and represent control words and run-length compressed data to provide a greater quantity of repair points per fuse. The data can be loaded serially into shift registers and shifted to the macro locations to control the selection of redundant circuits to repair integrated circuits having defects or to customize logic.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for initializing an integrated circuit using compressed data from a remote fusebox allows a reduction in the number of fuses required to repair or customize an integrated circuit and allows fuses to be grouped outside of the macros repaired by the fuses. The remote location of fuses allows flexibility in the placement of macros having redundant repair capability, as well as a preferable grouping of fuses for both programming convenience and circuit layout facilitation. The fuses are arranged in rows and columns and represent control words and run-length compressed data to provide a greater quantity of repair points per fuse. The data can be loaded serially into shift registers and shifted to the macro locations to control the selection of redundant circuits to repair integrated circuits having defects or to customize logic.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing a semiconductor chip includes providing the semiconductor chip with a common input/output (I/O) or bidirectional I/O pad. The I/O pad is electrically coupled to an off-chip driver (OCD) and an off-chip receiver (OCR). The OCD, I/O pad, and OCR are combined in a common input/output (CIO) or bidirectional I/O configuration. The I/O pad is effectively open circuited by an external tester and a performance parameter of the IO circuits connected to the open circuited pad is tested.

Abstract: A scan architecture for testing integrated circuit chips containing scannable memory devices, such as register arrays, is operable in a bypass mode during which only a small portion of the memory cells in each device or array is inserted in the scan path to substantially reduce scan path length, test time and test data volume during testing of other logic components in the circuit chip. Additional decoder logic is employed to select a small number of words in the device or array during the scan-bypass mode, and multiplexor circuitry removes the bypassed words from the scan path. By leaving the small number of the register array words in the scan path, observability of logic upstream of the array, and controllability of logic downstream of the array, is preserved during the bypass mode without the need for additional shift register latches and other external logic components.

Abstract: A scan architecture for testing integrated circuit chips containing scannable memory devices, such as register arrays, is operable in a bypass mode during which only a small portion of the memory cells in each device or array is inserted in the scan path to substantially reduce scan path length, test time and test data volume during testing of other logic components in the circuit chip. Additional decoder logic is employed to select a small number of words in the device or array during the scan-bypass mode, and multiplexor circuitry removes the bypassed words from the scan path. By leaving the small number of the register array words in the scan path, observability of logic upstream of the array, and controllability of logic downstream of the array, is preserved during the bypass mode without the need for additional shift register latches and other external logic components.