TEST PATTERN GENERATION FOR AN ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT USING A TRANSFORMED CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION

Test pattern generation for a sequential logic circuit having combinational logic elements and sequential elements (D flip-flops) is enhanced in generation time and test pattern quality by first transforming the circuit to simplify the circuit for test pattern generation. In one embodiment the retiming transformation is used in which sequential elements are moved across combinational logic elements to increase the ratio of the total number of states which are traversable, and thus simplify the circuit for test pattern generation. The test set generated is equally applicable to the transformed test circuit as well as the manufactured circuit.