Abstract: An integrated circuit or other electronic circuitry is tested by arranging device pins into multiple-pin groups, and permitting the device pins of the group to share a single tester channel of a piece of test equipment. More particularly, a group comprising a plurality of device pins of the electronic circuitry is designated, and assigned to one of a plurality of tester channels in the test equipment. A test may then be performed on the electronic circuitry, via the assigned tester channel, utilizing at least a subset of the device pins in the designated multiple-pin group. Advantageously, the invention allows high pin count integrated circuits to be tested using inexpensive test equipment platforms.

Abstract: This invention relates to a token passing network, called a Universal BIST Scheduler (UBS), and a method for scheduling BISTed memory elements based on: executing BIST in multiple stages in order to optimize the efficiency of continuous processing and to apply a single waiting period to multiple SBRIC_RSs where, for example, BIST includes retention testing; dividing resource controllers or SBRIC_RSs corresponding to one or more RSB elements into a matrix such that each SBRIC_RS executes the BIST of its memory elements concurrently and/or successively depending on the SBRIC_RS's position in the matrix; and passing a token to initiate processing of a set of SBRIC_RSs in the matrix through a level signal rather than a pulse signal in order to ensure that the signal is not lost.

Abstract: This invention relates to a token passing network, called a Universal BIST Scheduler (UBS), and a method for scheduling BISTed memory elements based on: executing BIST in multiple stages in order to optimize the efficiency of continuous processing and to apply a single waiting period to multiple SBRIC.sub.-- RSs where, for example, BIST includes retention testing; dividing resource controllers or SBRIC.sub.-- RSs corresponding to one or more RSB elements into a matrix such that each SBRIC.sub.-- RS executes the BIST of its memory elements concurrently and/or successively depending on the SBRIC.sub.-- RS's position in the matrix; and passing a token to initiate processing of a set of SBRIC.sub.-- RSs in the matrix through a level signal rather than a pulse signal in order to ensure that the signal is not lost.