ABSTRACT
Design-for-test or design-for-testability (DFT) is a name for design techniques that add certain testability features to a microelectronic hardware product design. The premise of the added features is to make it easier to develop and apply manufacturing tests for the designed hardware. Historically speaking, DFT techniques have been used at least since the early days of electric/electronic data-processing equipment. DFT plays an important role in the development of test programs and as an interface for test application and diagnostics. The industry has developed and used a large variety of more or less detailed and more or less formal guidelines for desired and/or mandatory DFT circuit modifications. Most tool-supported DFT practiced in the industry today, at least for digital circuits, is predicated on a structural test paradigm. Depending on the DFT choices made during circuit design/implementation, the generation of structural tests for complex logic circuits can be more or less automated.
