Compression software improves ATPG

TestKompress 2007 is an enhanced version of the ground-breaking tool from Mentor Graphics that introduced scan test pattern compression to the marketplace.

TestKompress 2007 is an enhanced version of the ground-breaking tool from Mentor Graphics that introduced scan test pattern compression to the marketplace.

The TestKompress 2007 product offers significant improvements in the most important aspects of automatic test program generation (ATPG) - productivity, performance and test quality.

One of the most time consuming parts of test is debugging circuit issues that inhibit scan testing and lead to lower coverage.

TestKompress 2007 now comes with a user interface called DFTVisualiser, a new graphical environment for managing the complexity of debugging design-for-test (DFT) related issues.

DFTVisualiser includes several powerful graphical utilities, including hierarchical design and schematic viewers as well as waveform views that allow users to quickly traverse the design data to pinpoint test related problems.

These utilities are tightly coupled with the ATPG engine and the design rule checks (DRC) in an easy-to-use, productive debug environment.

"High fault coverage is an important goal in helping us meet our quality objectives", said Jason Brown, DFT Engineering Manager at Avago.

"DFTVisualiser's graphical debug capabilities let us quickly identify DFT issues that limit fault coverage and keep us on our tight development schedules".

With the use of patent-pending process distribution technology, ATPG Accelerator delivers scalable performance to meet the demand of ever increasing circuit size and complexity.

The unique capability of this ATPG distribution technique is that it is both scalable and repeatable, giving identical results regardless of how the processes are distributed, so it remains a flexible tool regardless of the varying process grid resources.

The ATPG Accelerator has built-in fault tolerant capabilities to ensure that network related issues don't impact the test generation process.

ATPG Accelerator's distributed processing is fully compatible with Platform Computing's LSF and Sun's Grid Engine batch network scheduling products.

Since no special option or license is required, ATPG Accelerator is available to all current TestKompress or FastScan customers.

As designs move to 90nm and below, there is a need for more comprehensive fault modelling to maintain test quality.

With more companies now striving towards lower defects-per-million levels, TestKompress 2007 has added support for physically aware bridging fault models.

This takes fault coverage beyond the logical aspects of the design by taking into account its physical attributes.

These models get their physical information directly from the Calibre DFM database, populated by the Calibre YieldAnalyzer product, thus providing more precise test results, and improved defect detection.

"We have put significant development into improving productivity, performance and test quality, for customers using our TestKompress and FastScan products", said Robert Hum, Vice President and General Manager of the Design Verification and Test Division of Mentor Graphics.

"Our continual focus on improving these basic ATPG capabilities, while leading the industry in test pattern compression, will keep TestKompress 2007 as the overwhelming preferred solution for scan test".

DFTVisualiser, ATPG Accelerator, and physically aware fault modelling will be available in TestKompress 2007 on 1st January 2007, and will also be included in FastScan 2007 - the industry's leading ATPG tool.

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