The SSN flexible architecture

The flexibility of the Streaming Scan Network architecture presents a robust solution to adapt DFT to your design, supports multiple configurations of ATPG, and to plan ahead for timing challenges before closure. Peter Orlando, Product Engineer at Siemens EDA, explains what makes the Tessent SSN architecture so flexible.

Flexibility in a DFT insertion

Tessent Streaming Scan Network (SSN) provides a robust solution for adapting DFT to your design. It supports many different configurations for ATPG and scan pattern retargeting. You can plan early for timing impact of DFT instead of waiting until later during timing closure.

The SSN architecture provides flexibility in DFT insertion through:

• Decoupling core and chip-level resources
• The Streaming Scan Hose (SSH) drives any number of compressed and uncompressed chains concurrently
• Support for legacy cores
• Accepts late changes to DFT without disrupting the architecture
• Can run multiple SSN buses concurrently

Flexibility in scan pattern generation

The SSN architecture adds flexibility to pattern generation by:

• Defining core grouping at the time of retargeting
• Retargeting non-SSN patterns through the SSN for reuse of legacy patterns
• Retargeting identical cores with on-chip compare
• Changing a core shift frequency at the time of retargeting
• Changing the SSN bus width