ATE assisted test response compaction

A new method for achieving test response compaction is proposed. The method involves testers to achieve additional compaction, without compromising fault coverage, beyond what may be already achieved using on-chip response compactors. The method does not add additional logic or modify the circuit under test or require additional tests and thus can be used with any design including legacy designs. Simple heuristic procedures are used to achieve additional compaction. Experimental results on larger ISCAS-89 circuits show the effectiveness of the method.