Hierarchically managed boundary-scan testable module and method

Claim 2

A module, said module being a hierarchically managed testable module, for use in connection with boundary-scan testing, said module comprising: a master component having a test-access-port (TAP) controller and having a master component boundary-scan register coupled to and controlled by said TAP controller; a slave component having a slave component boundary-scan register coupled to and controlled by said TAP controller of said master component; said slave component is one of a plurality of slave components each having a boundary-scan register coupled to and controlled by said TAP controller of said master component and; each said slave component boundary-scan register of said plurality of slave components is serially coupled together into a boundary-scan chain having an input coupled to said master component and an output coupled to said master component.

Claim 3

A module as claimed in claim 1 wherein said master and slave components are physically separated semiconductor die electrically interconnected by conductive traces.

Claim 4

A module as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said master component additionally has a TDI input (test-data-in input) and a TDO output (test-data-out output), said TDI input being coupled to said master component boundary-scan register and said TDI input and TDO output being accessible from outside said module; said master component additionally has a master component internal serial data output coupled to said master component boundary-scan register and has a master component internal serial data input coupled to said TDO output; said slave component has an internal serial data input coupled to said master component internal serial data output and to said slave component boundary-scan register; and said slave component additionally has an internal serial data output coupled to said slave component boundary-scan register and to said master component internal serial data input.

Claim 5

A module as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said slave component has a slave component internal serial data output coupled to said slave component boundary-scan register; said master component has a master component internal serial data input coupled to said slave component internal serial data output and has a test-data-out (TDO) output and a plurality of control registers each of which have control register outputs; and said master component additionally has selecting means, having inputs coupled to said master component internal serial data input and to said control register outputs and having an output coupled to said TDO output, for selecting a source for data to supply at said TDO output.

Claim 6

A module as claimed in claim 4 wherein said master component additionally has an instruction decoder coupled to said selecting means, said instruction decoder being configured to supply data from said master component internal serial data input at said TDO output during an EXTEST instruction.

Claim 7

A module as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said master component boundary-scan register has a master component external register and a master component internal register; said slave component boundary-scan register has a slave component external register and a slave component internal register; and said master component external register, said master component internal register, said slave component external register and said slave component internal register are interconnected to permit data to be scanned through said master component external register and each said slave component external register without requiring data to be scanned through said master component internal register and each said slave component internal register.

Claim 8

A module as claimed in claim 6 additionally comprising: external conductive traces coupled to one or more of said master component external register and said slave component external register, said external conductive traces being accessible from outside said module; and internal conductive traces coupled to one or more of said master component internal register and said slave component internal register, said internal conductive traces being substantially inaccessible from outside said module.

Claim 9

A module as claimed in claim 6 additionally comprising: an instruction decoder within said master component, said instruction decoder being coupled to said TAP controller and configured to generate an internal/external selection signal; first selecting means, coupled to said master component internal register and said master component external register for selecting between said master component internal register and said master component external register in response to said internal/external selection signal; and second selecting means, coupled to said slave component internal register and said slave component external register, for selecting between said slave component internal register and said slave component external register in response to said internal/external selection signal.

Claim 10

A module as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said master component TAP controller includes a state decoder configured to generate CLOCK-DR, UPDATE-DR, SHIFT-DR and BS-MODE signals; and said module additionally comprises means for coupling said CLOCK-DR, UPDATE-DR, SHIFT-DR and BS-MODE signals from said master component to said boundary-scan register of said slave component.

Claim 11

A module, said module being a hierarchically managed testable module, for use in connection with boundary-scan testing, said module comprising: a test-access-port (TAP) controller; an external boundary-scan register coupled to said TAP controller; and a plurality of internal boundary-scan registers, each of said plurality including an internal boundary-scan register coupled to said TAP controller and to said external boundary-scan register to permit data to be scanned through said external boundary-scan register without requiring data to be scanned through said internal boundary-scan register; said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register each have master portions and slave portions; said master portions of said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register and said TAP controller reside on a master component; and said slave portions of said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register reside on a slave component, said master and slave components being physically separated semiconductor die electrically interconnected by conductive traces.

Claim 12

A module, said module being a hierarchically managed testable module, for use in connection with boundary-scan testing, said module comprising: a test-access-port (TAP) controller; an external boundary-scan register coupled to said TAP controller; and a plurality of internal boundary-scan registers, each of said plurality including an internal boundary-scan register coupled to said TAP controller and to said external boundary-scan register to permit data to be scanned through said external boundary-scan register without requiring data to be scanned through said internal boundary-scan register; said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register each have master portions and slave portions; said master portions of said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register and said TAP controller reside on a master component; and said slave portions of said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register reside on a slave component, said master and slave components being physically separated semiconductor die electrically interconnected by conductive traces.

Claim 13

A module as claimed in claim 10 additionally comprising: external conductive traces coupled to said external boundary-scan register, said external conductive traces being accessible from outside said module; and internal conductive traces coupled to said internal boundary-scan register, said internal conductive traces being substantially inaccessible from outside said module.

Claim 14

A module as claimed in claim 10 additionally comprising: an instruction decoder coupled to said TAP controller and configured to generate an internal/external selection signal; and selecting means, coupled to said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register for selecting between said internal boundary-scan register and said external boundary-scan register in response to said internal/external selection signal.

Claim 15

A module as claimed in claim 10 wherein: said TAP controller includes a state decoder configured to generate CLOCK-DR, UPDATE-DR, SHIFT-DR and BS-MODE signals; and said module additionally comprises means for coupling said CLOCK-DR, UPDATE-DR, SHIFT-DR and BS-MODE signals from said master component to said slave component.

Claim 18

A method as claimed in claim 14 additionally comprising a step of coupling said master boundary-scan register to said slave boundary-scan register so that said master and slave boundary-scan registers form a boundary-scan chain having a test-data-in (TDI) input located on said master component and a test-data-out (TDO) output located on said master component.

Claim 19

A method as claimed in claim 14 additionally comprising steps of: routing external conductive traces to one or more of said master external register and said slave external register, said external conductive traces being accessible from outside said electronic module; and routing internal conductive traces to one or more of said master internal register and said slave internal register, said internal conductive traces being substantially inaccessible from outside said electronic module.

Claim 20

A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein: said detecting step comprises the step of generating CLOCK-DR, UPDATE-DR, SHIFT-DR and BS-MODE signals; and said method additionally comprises the step of routing said CLOCK-DR, UPDATE-DR, SHIFT-DR and BS-MODE signals from said master component to said slave boundary-scan register.

Claim 21

In a system comprising a plurality of boundary scan modules, a method for reducing power consumption and chip area associated with boundary scan testing, said method comprising steps of: providing a master component having a test-access-port (TAP) controller and having a master component boundary-scan register coupled to and controlled by said TAP controller; providing a plurality of slave components, each of said plurality including a slave component having a slave component boundary-scan register coupled to and controlled by said TAP controller of said master component, wherein said master and slave components are physically separated semiconductor die electrically interconnected by conductive traces; providing a master component includes a step of providing a master component additionally having a TDI input (test-data-in input) and a TDO output (test-data-out output), said TDI input being coupled to said master component boundary-scan register and said TDI input and TDO output being accessible from outside said module, and wherein said master component additionally has a master component internal serial data output coupled to said master component boundary-scan register and has a master component internal serial data input coupled to said TDO output; and providing a slave component includes a step of providing a slave component having an internal serial data input coupled to said master component internal serial data output and to said slave component boundary-scan register and wherein said slave component additionally has an internal serial data output coupled to said slave component boundary-scan register and to said master component internal serial data input.

Claim 22

In a system comprising a plurality of boundary scan modules, a method for reducing power consumption and chip area associated with boundary scan testing, said method comprising steps of: providing a master component having a test-access-port (TAP) controller and having a master component boundary-scan register coupled to and controlled by said TAP controller; providing a plurality of slave components, each of said plurality including a slave component having a slave component boundary-scan register coupled to and controlled by said TAP controller of said master component, wherein said master and slave components are physically separated semiconductor die electrically interconnected by conductive traces; providing a master component includes a step of providing a master component additionally having a TDI input (test-data-in input) and a TDO output (test-data-out output), said TDI input being coupled to said master component boundary-scan register and said TDI input and TDO output being accessible from outside said module, and wherein said master component additionally has a master component internal serial data output coupled to said master component boundary-scan register and has a master component internal serial data input coupled to said TDO output; and providing a slave component includes a step of providing a slave component having an internal serial data input coupled to said master component internal serial data output and to said slave component boundary-scan register and wherein said slave component additionally has an internal serial data output coupled to said slave component boundary-scan register and to said master component internal serial data input.

Claim 23

A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein said step of: providing a slave component includes a step of providing a slave component having a slave component internal serial data output coupled to said slave component boundary-scan register; providing a master component includes a step of providing a master component additionally having a master component internal serial data input coupled to said slave component internal serial data output and has a test-data-out (TDO) output and a plurality of control registers each of which have control register outputs and wherein said master component additionally has selecting means, having inputs coupled to said master component internal serial data input and to said control register outputs and having an output coupled to said TDO output, for selecting a source for data to supply at said TDO output.

Claim 24

A module as claimed in claim 1 wherein said TAP controller of said master component is a sole source of TAP controller signals for said slave component boundary-scan register.