Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, a system, and a computer readable storage medium for circuit design verification. The user generates a breakpoint by execution of test bench code. A callback function is registered at an application level associated with the breakpoint. The callback function is configured to execute in response to an occurrence of the associated breakpoint at the system level. A hardware-accelerated simulator simulates an execution of a circuit design using the test bench code. In response to triggering the breakpoint at the system level, the execution of the circuit design at the system level is paused and the callback function associated with the breakpoint at the application level is executed.

A test apparatus for generating reference scan chain test data comprises a test pattern generator and an output data modifier. The test pattern generator modifies a scan chain test input bit sequence by replacing a predefined number of start bits of the scan chain test input bit sequence by a predefined start bit sequence. Further, the test pattern generator provides the modified scan chain test input bit sequence to a device under test. The output data modifier modifies a scan chain test output bit sequence received from the device under test and caused by the modified scan chain test input bit sequence. The scan chain test output bit sequence is modified by replacing a predefined number of end bits of the scan chain test output bit sequence by a predefined end bit sequence to obtain the reference scan chain test data.

Embodiments are directed to a method and system for testing and optimizing integrated circuit devices. Latches within an integrated circuit device that fail to operate properly are found using observed data from a test. Thereafter, a directed graph of the layout of the integrated circuit is used to find clock controllers that feed into the latches. The clock controllers that are the most likely to be at issue are ranked, then testing can be performed to confirm that a critical path can be found. The critical path can be excluded from further power optimization to maintain the performance of the integrated circuit device. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus is a register array including first and second flip-flop latch arrays. The first flip-flop latch array includes a first set of master latches, a first set of slave latches coupled to the first set of master latches, and a first address port. The second flip-flop latch array includes a second set of master latches, a second set of slave latches coupled to the second set of master latches, and a second address port. The register array includes an address counter, coupled to the first flip-flop latch array and the second flip-flop latch array. The address counter is shared by the first flip-flop latch array and the second flip-flop latch array and configured to address, in parallel in a test mode, the first flip-flop latch array through the first address port and the second flip-flop latch array through the second address port.

An example method includes the following operations: receiving information about tests performed on a device, where the tests are associated with one or more parameters; performing an optimization process that includes varying the one or more parameters to optimize one or more criteria associated with the tests, where the optimization process includes an artificial intelligence process or a machine learning process; and outputting information that is based on which of the one or more parameters optimizes the one or more criteria.

A method for checking a Design for Test (DFT) circuit includes: transmitting a control signal to the DFT circuit to determine test mode signals output by the DFT circuit, with the DFT circuit being configured to sequentially select multiple address latches according to the control signal to output the test mode signals; analyzing the test mode signals to determine whether the multiple address latches in the DFT circuit have an error; and outputting a simulation result report.

A method and system for controlling actions of testbench components present within a test environment based on a testing context is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a controllable actions packet from each of a plurality of testbench components in the test environment; parsing a testing context associated with a test sequence; generating a context-based actions control packet for each of the plurality of testbench components, based on the testing context metadata and the list of controllable actions corresponding to each of the plurality of testbench components; and transmitting the context-based actions control packet to an associated testbench component of the plurality of testbench components.

Error protection analysis of an integrated circuit includes receiving a design model for the integrated circuit, and a list of error checkers associated with the design model. The design model is traversed from each of the error checkers to group storage cells of the design model into checking groups. The design model is updated to include, for each checking group, a unique group identifier associated with each of the storage cells in the checking group.

A method and system for controlling actions of testbench components present within a test environment based on a testing context is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a controllable actions packet from each of a plurality of testbench components in the test environment; parsing a testing context associated with a test sequence; generating a context-based actions control packet for each of the plurality of testbench components, based on the testing context metadata and the list of controllable actions corresponding to each of the plurality of testbench components; and transmitting the context-based actions control packet to an associated testbench component of the plurality of testbench components.

Error protection analysis of an integrated circuit includes receiving a design model for the integrated circuit, and a list of error checkers associated with the design model. The design model is traversed from each of the error checkers to group storage cells of the design model into checking groups. The design model is updated to include, for each checking group, a unique group identifier associated with each of the storage cells in the checking group.