Patent ID: 6959407

Claim:
A method for providing context save and restore using a test scan chain in an integrated circuit device also having a memory and a state machine, the method comprising: providing a scan chain of digital logic components comprised of a plurality of sub-chains; in a test mode, providing an input test data set to the scan chain, and scanning the input test data set through the scan chain, and providing an output test data set as an output of the scan chain; in a first switch mode, linking the sub-chains in parallel with each other and to a device memory, and reading a first functional data set from the memory; in a functional mode, linking the digital logic components with other logic circuitry in accordance with an application to be executed by the state machine, and executing the application to generate second functional data; and in a second switch mode, linking the sub-chains in parallel with each other and to the memory; storing the second functional data set in the memory.