Adding built-in self test to a non-intrusive trailer light system

Abstract

This paper describes a design for testability feature using Built-in Self-Test (BIST) for a Non-Intrusive Trailer Light System (NITLS) prototype senior design project at Cogswell College North. NITLS substitutes an optical connection for the traditional electrical connection between towing vehicle and trailer. The addition of BIST, while accounting for a 95% growth in the silicon die size, was justified due to the fixed fabrication costs, the limited access to adequate test equipment, and the need for reliability due to the hostile operating environment. The Built-in Logic Block Observer (BILBO) BIST module was suitable for addition through a silicon compiler using logic synthesis.