Will Test Compression Run Out Of Gas?

Summary form only given. There are three key metrics that are often used when evaluating logic test methodologies: cost, quality and bring- up time. Although separate metrics, cost and quality are highly correlated and generally should be evaluated together. From a theoretical point of view, any logic test methodology can achieve close to any desired level of product quality if sufficient effort is used. The key therefore is to find the test methodology with the most efficient cost to quality trade-off. Using DPM to represent (the inverse of) quality, the goal is to achieve the steepest possible trade-off curve. In the eighties and nineties, ATPG replaced functional testing as it provided a significantly better cost to quality trade-off. Towards the beginning of this decade, ATPG compression began to replace pure ATPG usage as it provided an even better trade-off for larger designs.