On the functional test of MESI controllers

This paper proposes a method to identify a functional sequence able to test the circuitry implementing the MESI protocol in a multi-processor or multi-core system. The method is purely functional and does not require any knowledge about the real implementation of the circuitry. It is simply based on forcing the processors to execute a program, while observing the results (both in terms of produced data and performance behavior). Therefore, the method is particularly suitable to be used for at-speed manufacturing test, incoming inspection, and on-line test. Experimental results have been gathered on a compatible MIPS64 multi-processor system.