Patent ID: 8468404
Filing Date: 2013-06-18
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A method for reducing switching activity of a spreader network during a scan-load operation for feeding a plurality of scan chains, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of scan input signals from a tester; updating bits in a linear feedback shift register using the plurality of scan input signals, each bit of the linear feedback shift register being shifted at each shift cycle for a plurality of shift cycles; providing a nonlinear gating signal using a combination of a first set of outputs of the linear feedback shift register; providing a data value using a combination of a second set of outputs of the linear feedback shift register to a pipeline element, wherein the combination of the second set of outputs is performed by one or more logic gates; gating a pipeline clock provided to the pipeline element using the nonlinear gating signal; and feeding the data value from the pipeline element to a scan chain of the plurality of scan chains based on the gated pipeline clock.