Patent ID: 6550023
Filing Date: 2003-04-15
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
An apparatus for locating defects in an on-chip memory of an integrated circuit, comprising:an on-chip address generator which generates an address and stores said address in an address register; an on-chip data generator which generates an expected data value and stores said expected data value in an expected data register; an on-chip processor which writes said expected data value from said expected data register to said address indicated in said address register in said on-chip memory and reads an output data value from said address indicated in said address register in said on-chip memory; and an on-chip fault detector operable to compare said output data value and said expected data value indicated in said expected data register, to generate a bitwise comparison result indicating which, if any, of a plurality of bit cells at said address have failed, and if any of said plurality of bit cells at said address have failed, to store said bitwise comparison result in a compare result register for retrieval by an external source.