BIST-Based Detection and Diagnosis of Multiple Faults in FPGAs

We present a BIST-based approach able to detect and accurately diagnose any single and most multiple faulty programmable logic blocks (PLBs) in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). For any faulty PLB, we also identify its internal faulty modules or modes of operation. This accurate diagnosis provides the basis for both failure analysis used for yield improvement and for any repair strategy used for fault-tolerance. We present experimental results showing detection and identification of faulty PLBs in actual defective FPGAs.