Versatile High-Level Synthesis of Self-Checking Datapaths Using an On-Line Testability Metric

There have been several recent attempts to include duplication-based on-line testability in behaviourally synthesized designs. In this paper, on-line testability is considered within the optimisation process of iterative, cost function-driven high-level synthesis, such that on-line testing resources are inserted automatically without any modification of the source HDL code. This involves the introduction of a metric for on-line testability. A variation of duplication testing (namely inversion testing) is also used, providing the system with an additional degree of freedom towards minimising hardware overheads associated with test resource insertion. Considering online testability within the synthesis process facilitates fast and efficient design space exploration, resulting in a versatile high-level synthesis process, capable of producing alternative realisations according to the designer's directions