What is Design for Testability (DFT) and Why It is Important?

Similar to most industries, the semiconductor sector has also been undergoing a remarkable transformation of multiple aspects. There has been a development of more effective fabrication methods and complicated macrocells.

The industry is using miniscule features on silicon, reusing existing macrocells, and minimising voltages these days. These changes are entirely dependent on quality and accuracy. The expense shoots up significantly when there is a requirement of placing sizeable logic besides memory on the same die.

Hence, the demand for individuals with profound knowledge of design for testability in VLSI is growing in this sector with each passing year. They play an instrumental role in expediting the process and cutting down the cost.

In simple words, DFT in VLSI is a unique design technique, which makes chip testing possible, faster, and hassle-free. Enrolling in a DFT course can help you acquire the skill of placing an additional logic in the usual design during the design procedure.

What is DFT?

DFT stands for Design for Testability, an innovative method that helps a design become more testable after fabrication. Putting the extra logic in the normal design facilitates its testing right after production.

DFT comprises innovative IC design techniques, which incorporate testability aspects to a hardware product standard design. Primarily owing to the added features, developing and conducting production tests to the already designed hardware becomes easier.

It is a crucial branch of Very-large-scale Integration (VLSI) design. Those who undergo a DFT training course at the best institute learn how to correctly erect a test structure on the chip. Doing so accurately helps them test a particular product for defects before delivering the same to a customer.

Benefits of Design for Testability

Know that it is easy to accomplish testing from multiple systems, gates, transistors, complex macrocells, chips, cores, and boards on any circuitry. DFT helps in successfully adding logic to improve a design’s testability aspect. The addition of features boosts the ability to attain the below-mentioned key quality metrics for the purpose of,

  • Generating vectors hassle-free
  • Reducing the time required for vector generation
  • Minimising the price of vectors

Here are the advantages of DFT:

  • Aside from package pins and timing, it increases power and area
  • It improves the potential of gauging the quality
  • It produces the requisite vectors remarkably well
  • Minimises tester time, complexity, and requirements

About Maven Silicon & Why is it a Top Institute in Bangalore for DFT Course too?

Maven Silicon is a well-known VLSI training institute in Bangalore, successfully producing highly competent VLSI engineers. It is also playing a commendable role in helping the semiconductor sector all over the world to meet the rising demand for chip design experts.

Since inception, this Bangalore-based institution has been providing VLSI DFT course online. It is one of the most preferred and trusted VLSI training partners for corporates and academia in India.

The blended Design for Testability course consists of online theory classes, projects, and labs aside from internship programs and offline projects. The highly experienced faculty trains electronic engineers in an extensive manner on DFT and VLSI design.

ONF