Testability Emphasis in the General Electric A/VLSI Program

General Electric´s Aerospace Business Group has initiated an extensive Advanced Very Large Scale Integration Program to generate the technology needed to produce 1.25-micron integrated circuits that will substantially improve its military products. This article emphasizes practical real-world experiences encountered in designing for testability. It discusses test-oriented macrocells, design rules, software checks, testability design guidelines, test specification language, and workstation communication with automated test equipment.