By John Rhea
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Officials of LogicVision Inc., the San Jose, Calif.-based developer of embedded built-in self test (BIST) programs for advanced integrated circuits, will provide versions of their programs to two semiconductor firms for use on new lines of system-on-a-chip components.
LogicVision officials agreed to the arrangement last month with Fujitsu Ltd.`s U.S. facility, also based in San Jose, and with LSI Logic Corp. in Milpitas, Calif.
Experts from Fujitsu will use LogicVision`s test technology in their IPSymphony system-on-a-chip designs, initially for internal product development. Logic-Vision and Fujitsu had been collaborating for two years on BIST approaches, originally using LogicVision`s SOCKET test procedure.
The idea is to reuse manufacturing test procedures and cut the time necessary for system verification, test engineering, and debug of the complex chips. The LogicVision embedded test procedures will integrate into virtual components in the Fujitsu library to accept designs from multiple sources and combine them into new products.
At the same time, LogicVision will provide embedded test technology known as icBIST in the LSI Logic new line of very deep submicron systems on a chip. LSI experts will employ the test methods at all their design centers for internally designed cores, standard products, and applications specific integrated circuits.
The icBIST family combines patented intellectual property, in the form of circuit designs and testing methods, with a suite of test automation tools, to realize a fully automated implementation of embedded test.
