Linking diagnostic software to hardware self test in telecom systems

This article presents a novel approach to telecom system design that links hardware structural testing to system diagnostics software. Issues related to access of the hardware test features in the system are discussed. Linking the built-in self-test to diagnostic software reduces software complexity while increasing diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, the use of structural test features in a routine diagnostic test permits subcritical faults to be detected and recorded in nonvolatile memory, thus facilitating failure analysis. It can then be seen that the superior test coverage, fault resolution, and flexibility that access to hardware test features gives, will be beneficial in improving overall system quality and reliability