The use of equivalent fault analysis to improve static D.C. fault diagnosis - a potentiometric DAC case study

Equivalence amongst the single and double catastrophic component faults of a potentiometric DAC under steadystate dc conditions is investigated. Easily identifiable equivalent faults are shown to populate the fault list in significant numbers. By facilitating a systematic testdesign approach focused on the prevention of equivalent fault conditions during test, equivalent fault analysis is used to greatly increase the percentage of catastrophic component faults diagnosable with a Built-In Self-Test (BIST) in [M.S. Nejad, L. Sebaa, A. Ladick, and H. Kuo, "Analog Built-In Self-Test," Proc. IEEE Int\´l ASIC Conf and Exh., pp. 407-411, 1994]. The efect on analysis of component tolerances and other nonidealities is yet to be considered.