Simultaneous static testing of A/D and D/A converters using a built-in structure

Static testing of analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters becomes more difficult when they are embedded in a system on chip. Built-in self-test (BIST) reduces the need for external support for testing. This paper proposes a new static BIST structure for testing both A/D and D/A converters. By sharing test circuitry, the proposed BIST reduces the hardware overhead. Furthermore, test time can also be reduced using the simultaneous test strategy of the proposed BIST. The proposed method can be applied in various A/D and D/A converter resolutions and analog signal swing ranges. Simulation results are presented to validate the proposed method by showing how linearity errors are detected in different situations.