Boundary scan for 5-GHz RF pins using LC isolation networks

The boundary-scan test provides a structural test solution for the densely packed digital electronics. For RF devices, the structural test also provides a good diagnostic resolution to the structural defects of RF circuits, especially for the high pin-count RF-SOCs. In this paper, the boundary-scan test is implemented on a 5-GHz RF pin using LC isolation networks to connect the RF lines and the boundary-scan cell, which isolates the RF circuitry from the digital boundary scan cell. This technique overcomes the parasitic loading problems and provides a minimum RF performance degradation to a RFIC. The measurement results show only 0.4-dB gain degradation in a 5-GHz amplifier with a boundary-scan cell and LC isolation networks.