Test generation for primitive path delay faults in combinational circuits

This paper presents a method of identifying primitive path-delay faults in combinational circuits, and deriving robust tests for all robustly testable primitive faults, It uses the concept of sensitizing cubes Pa reduce the search space. This approach helps identify faults that cannot be part of any primitive fault, and avoids attempting test generation for then. Sensitization conditions determined for primitive fault identification are also used in test generation, reducing rest generation effort. Experimental results an some of the ISCAS'85 and MCNC'91 benchmark circuits indicate that they contain a fair number of primitive multiple path delay faults which must be tested.