JTAG delivers 1149.6 testing with diagnostics

Boundary-scan capabilities extended to high-speed digital networks

JTAG Technologies announced the industry's most complete support for testing based on IEEE standard 1149.6 for advanced digital networks.  IEEE 1149.6 is an important extension to the original 1149.1 boundary-scan specification.  The extension overcomes test limitations associated with digital interfaces such as LVDS (low-voltage differential signaling) and AC-coupled networks.

Prior to "dot6," testing these types of networks could produce erroneous pass/fail indications.  For example, the fault-tolerance of differential networks could allow faults to escape detection with normal 1149.1 techniques.  A circuit might work at low speed and thereby pass the dot1 testing but would fail at the high speed of normal operation.  Conversely, the DC-blocking effects of AC-coupling can result in dot1 test failures with results that resemble open circuit faults.  Both of these shortcomings are addressed by the IEEE 1149.6 standard.

JTAG ProVision from JTAG Technologies automatically produces an exhaustive test for these types of advanced digital interfaces based upon the netlist of the circuit, the 1149.6 BSDL files and model files for the components in the design.  Significantly, the

JTAG ProVision dot6 test produces a diagnostic fault report which pinpoints the cause of the failure, including isolation of individual faults should multiple faults occur.  The fault report can also be analyzed by JTAG Visualizer, the schematic and layout viewer from JTAG Technologies, and is presented to the engineer as a color-highlighted graphical output.