Defect Modeling Using Fault Tuples

Fault tuples represent a defect modeling mechanism capable of capturing the logical misbehavior of arbitrary defects in digital circuits. To justify this claim, this paper describes two types of logic faults (state transition and signal line faults) and formally shows how fault tuples can be used to precisely represent any number of faults of this kind. The capability of fault tuples to capture misbehaviors beyond logic faults is then illustrated using many examples of varying degree of complexity. In particular, the ability of fault tuples to modulate fault controllability and observability is examined. Finally, it is described how fault tuples can and have been used to enhance testing tasks such as fault simulation, test generation, and diagnosis, and enable new capabilities such as interfault collapsing and application-based quality metrics