Testing of Analog Systems Using Behavioral Models and Optimal Experimental Design Techniques

This paper describesa new CAD algorithm which performsautomatic test pattern generation (ATPG) for a general class of analog systems, namely those circuits which can be efficiently modeled as an additive combination of user-defined basis functions. The algorithm is based on the statistical technique of I-optimal experimental design, in which test vectors are chosen to be maximally independent so that circuit performance will be characterized as accurately as possible in the presence of measurement noise and model inaccuracies. This technique allows analog systems to be characterized more accurately and more efficiently, thereby significantly reducing system test time and hence total manufacturing cost. 1 Introduction The complexity of electronic systems being designed today is increasing in many dimensions: on one hand, the number of components is growing constantly; on the other, several radically different functions must be integrated. For example, in the exploding personal communi..