In this section we will describe the tools and design data needed to develop
boundary-scan test procedures and patterns for in-circuit programming. We
will use a typical board as an illustration for the various boundary-scan
test functions needed. A block diagram of such a board is depicted in the
image below.
A typical digital board with boundary-scan devices includes the following
main components:
Various boundary-scan components such as CPLDs, FPGAs, Processors,
etc., chained together via the boundary-scan path.
Non-boundary-scan components (clusters).
Various types of memory devices.
Flash Memory components.
Transparent components such as series resistors or buffers.
The following will introduce you to the major components of the various
boundary-scan test tools available followed by a description of how to
test and program the above board.
Typical Board with Boundary-Scan Components
A typical boundary-scan test system is comprised of two basic elements:
Test Program Generation and Test Execution. Generally the Test Program
Generator (TPG) requires the netlist of the Unit Under Test (UUT) and
the BSDL files of the boundary-scan components. The TPG automatically
generates test patterns that allow fault detection and isolation for all
boundary-scan testable nets of the printed circuit board (PCB). The TPG
also creates test vectors to detect faults on the pins of non-scannable
components such as clusters and memories that are surrounded by scannable
devices.
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What
is Boundary Scan?
