Serial Vector Format (SVF) is a file format that contains
boundary scan vectors to be sent to an
electronic circuit
An electronic circuit is composed of individual electronic components, such as resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes, connected by conductive wires or Conductive trace, traces through which electric current can flow. It is a t ...
using a
JTAG interface. Boundary scan vectors consist of the following data:
* Stimulus data: This is data to be sent to a device or
electronic circuit
An electronic circuit is composed of individual electronic components, such as resistors, transistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes, connected by conductive wires or Conductive trace, traces through which electric current can flow. It is a t ...
* Expected response: This is the data the device or circuit is expected to send back if there is no error
*
Mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...
data: Defines which
bits in the expected response are valid; other bits of the device's response are unknown and must be ignored when comparing the expected response and the data returned from the circuit
* Additional information on how to send the data (e.g. maximum
clock
A clock or chronometer is a device that measures and displays time. The clock is one of the oldest Invention, human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month, a ...
frequency)
The SVF standard was jointly developed by companies ''
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American multinational semiconductor company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is one of the top 10 semiconductor companies worldwide based on sales volume. The company's focus is on developing analog ...
'' and ''
Teradyne
Teradyne, Inc. is an American automatic test equipment (ATE) designer and manufacturer based in North Reading, Massachusetts. Its high-profile customers include Samsung, Qualcomm, Intel, Analog Devices, Texas Instruments and IBM.
History
T ...
''. Control over the format has been handed off to boundary-scan solution provider ''ASSET InterTech''. The most recent revision is Revision E.
SVF files are used to transfer boundary scan data between tools. As an example a
VHDL
VHDL (Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Program, VHSIC Hardware Description Language) is a hardware description language that can model the behavior and structure of Digital electronics, digital systems at multiple levels of abstraction, ran ...
compiler may create an SVF file that is read by a tool for programming
CPLDs.
The SVF file is defined as an ASCII file that consists of a set of SVF statements. The maximum number of characters allowed on a line is 256, although one SVF statement can span more than one line. Each statement consists of a command and associated parameters. Each SVF statement is terminated by a semicolon. SVF is not case sensitive. Comments can be inserted into a SVF file after an exclamation point ‘!’ or a pair of slashes ‘//’. Either ‘//’ or ‘!’ will comment out the remainder of the line.
SVF commands
* ENDDR: Specifies default end state for DR scan operations.
* ENDIR: Specifies default end state for IR scan operations.
* FREQUENCY: Specifies maximum test clock frequency for IEEE 1149.1 bus operations.
* HDR: (Header Data Register) Specifies a header pattern that is prepended to the beginning of subsequent DR scan operations.
* HIR: (Header Instruction Register) Specifies a header pattern that is prepended to the beginning of subsequent IR scan operations.
* PIO: (Parallel Input/Output) Specifies a parallel test pattern.
* PIOMAP: (Parallel Input/Output Map) Maps PIO column positions to a logical pin.
* RUNTEST: Forces the IEEE 1149.1 bus to a run state for a specified number of clocks or a specified time period.
* SDR: (Scan Data Register) Performs an IEEE 1149.1 Data Register scan.
* SIR: (Scan Instruction Register) Performs an IEEE 1149.1 Instruction Register scan.
* STATE: Forces the IEEE 1149.1 bus to a specified stable state.
* TDR: (Trailer Data Register) Specifies a trailer pattern that is appended to the end of subsequent DR scan operations.
* TIR: (Trailer Instruction Register) Specifies a trailer pattern that is appended to the end of subsequent IR scan operations.
* TRST: (Test ReSeT) Controls the optional Test Reset line.
References
* The In-System Configuration Handbook: A Designer's Guide to ISC, Neil G. Jacobson, {{ISBN, 1-4020-7655-X
External links
Serial Vector Format Specificationlatest version available - Revision E
SVF and XSVF File Formats for Xilinx Devicesspecifies XSVF, a binary version of SVF
Electronics manufacturing
Computer file formats