Linear dependency check in built-in test

Given a characteristic polynomial and a sampling polynomial with respect to it, whether the sampling polynomial is a dependency polynomial is important to the designer. A dependency polynomial gives low fault coverage in the built-in self test. The tool LDC (linear dependency check) computes the residue combinations of the factors in the set polynomial and advises designers if the sampling polynomial covers all the testing space. When the sampling polynomial is a dependency polynomial, LDC will try to find one, if any, independent polynomial at a minimum cost. In cases of short test vectors, LDC can exhaustively enumerate all independent polynomials for the designers to choose from. The author reviews the basics of the linear dependency computation, explains the LDC capabilities and its usefulness, and discusses the computational issues of the problem