MOUNTAIN VIEW, USA: Synopsys Inc. announced that Tessolve has adopted Synopsys' DFT MAX scan compression solution to reduce the costs of semiconductor testing and diagnostics. DFT MAX automates creation of scan compression circuits on-chip that substantially decrease the amount of data and time required to test complex ASICs.

Tessolve selected DFT MAX because it achieved the best test time/test data reduction results and was easiest to embed within the company's existing design-for-test (DFT) and failure analysis flows.

"It is very easy to achieve high compression using Synopsys' DFT MAX solution," said Mohit Bansal, director of DFT Engineering at Tessolve. "DFT MAX is a straightforward extension of the standard scan techniques using Synopsys' DFT Compiler and TetraMAX ATPG design flows currently in use at Tessolve.

Because TetraMAX supports automated diagnosis of DFT MAX-compressed test patterns, analysis of failed patterns on the ATE can be completed much faster and cost-effectively."

Synopsys' DFT MAX solution utilizes Adaptive Scan compression technology to minimize test costs by substantially reducing both test application time and test data volume. By avoiding the use of complex sequential state machines for compression/decompression, DFT MAX disperses test logic throughout the design, alleviating wire-routing congestion and reducing the silicon area overhead cost of compression.

TetraMAX diagnostics automate failure analysis of manufactured parts by identifying circuits that could contribute to mismatches between expected results generated by the TetraMAX automatic test pattern generator (ATPG) and observed responses of the device under test.

"Design services firms like Tessolve need an integrated DFT solution that minimizes the design effort as well as tester-related costs," said Graham Etchells, director of marketing, Test Automation at Synopsys. "Because migration to DFT MAX can be accomplished in days instead of months, our customers quickly see tangible benefits from applying more types of test patterns to achieve even higher test quality."