End-to-end testability analysis and DfT insertion for mixed-signal paths

Increasing system complexity and test cost demands new system-level solutions for mixed-signal systems. In this paper, we present a testability analysis and DfT insertion methodology for end-to-end mixed-signal paths. Based on behavioral models and path analysis, testability problems in the path are determined and classified in terms of their bottleneck. Possible solutions to each problem are identified. The DfT insertion problem is then formulated as a min-cost set cover problem to achieve the most cost-efficient solution. In experimental results where test point insertion is used as the DfT approach, nearly 50% reduction in the overall DfT overhead is achieved.