Error Propagation

What is Error Propagation?

In the context of test generation for electronic circuits, “error propagation” refers to the process of identifying and analyzing how errors or faults, initially introduced at specific points in a circuit, propagate through the circuit to potentially affect the circuit’s primary outputs. This is a crucial step in ensuring that faults can be detected and diagnosed during testing.

In the provided paragraph:

1. Fault Activation: This step involves setting the primary inputs of the circuit in a way that activates a specific fault. For example, for a stuck-at-0 fault on signal line k, the primary inputs must be set to propagate a 0 to line k.
2. Error Propagation: After activating the fault, the next step is to identify the primary input values that will cause the resulting error to propagate through the circuit to a primary output. The goal is to find conditions under which the fault effect is observable at the circuit’s outputs.
3. Path Sensitization: This is a technique for implementing error propagation. It involves identifying and sensitizing specific paths in the circuit that connect the fault location to the primary outputs. The sensitized paths provide a way for the fault effect to propagate through the circuit.
4. Necessary Conditions: Establishing the necessary conditions involves determining what input values need to be applied to sensitize the identified paths and create the desired fault effect at the primary output.

In summary, error propagation, particularly through techniques like path sensitization, is a critical aspect of test generation to ensure that faults can be effectively detected and diagnosed during the testing phase of electronic circuits.

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