Job Title Debug Sub-System & Design-for-Test (DFT) Engineer Summary We are seeking a Debug Sub-System / DFT Engineer to architect, implement, and validate the on-chip debug and test infrastructure for complex SoC and ASIC designs. This role spans the full lifecycle — from specification and RTL design of debug/DFT features through pre-silicon verification, ATPG pattern generation, and post-silicon validation. The ideal candidate combines deep DFT methodology expertise with knowledge of silicon debug subsystems, enabling productive manufacturing test, in-field diagnostics, and post-silicon debug.

Key Responsibilities Debug Sub-System Design & Integration

Understanding of

on-chip debug infrastructure

including:

JTAG TAP controllers

(IEEE 1149.1/1149.6) and daisy-chain/star topologies

CoreSight / ARM Debug Architecture

(DAP, SWD, ETM, CTI, cross-trigger matrices)

Trace infrastructure

(ETB, ETR, TPIU, trace funnels, timestamps)

Embedded Logic Analyzers (ELA)

/ on-chip signal monitors

Debug authentication and security

(secure debug, debug access levels, lock/unlock)

Design and integrate

DFx (Design for Debug/Diagnostics)

features:

Performance counters and event monitors

Error logging and first-error capture registers

Signal observation via debug muxes and pad multiplexing

Register access over debug ports (JTAG-to-APB/AHB/AXI bridges)

Debug subsystem interconnect

(debug bus, cross-trigger fabric, power-domain-aware debug access)

Collaborate with architecture teams on

debug use cases : boot debug, crash analysis, performance profiling, in-field diagnostics

Design-for-Test (DFT)

Understand

DFT architecture





for complex SoC designs, including:

Scan insertion : full scan, compressed scan (Tessent, Modus, DFT Compiler)

Memory BIST (MBIST) : controller design, repair logic, redundancy allocation

Logic BIST (LBIST) : self-test controllers, PRPG, MISR, fault coverage analysis

Boundary Scan (JTAG) : BSR chain design, IEEE 1149.1 compliance

At-speed testing : launch-on-shift, launch-on-capture, multi-clock domain handling

Drive

ATPG pattern generation

and achieve target fault coverage (stuck-at, transition, path delay, bridging)

Implement

test compression

(DFTMAX, Tessent TestKompress, EDT) to reduce test data volume and ATE test time

Design

DFT for low-power : isolation, retention scan, UPF-aware DFT insertion

Handle

analog/mixed-signal test

interfaces (ADC/DAC BIST, PLL test modes, SerDes loopback)

Define and implement

test access mechanisms (TAM) : wrapper chains, hierarchical test, IEEE 1500 wrappers for IP cores

Verification & Validation (Most Important)

Verify DFT/debug RTL through

simulation and formal methods :

JTAG TAP compliance tests

Scan chain integrity checks

MBIST/LBIST functional verification

Debug authentication sequence validation

Run

DRC (Design Rule Checks)

for DFT: scan rule violations, clock gating,



X-sources, hold-time fixes

Perform

ATPG dry runs

and iterate on coverage closure with design teams

Support

post-silicon DFT validation : scan pattern bring-up, MBIST execution, yield debug

Debug

test escapes

and drive corrective actions (pattern update, DFT ECO, coverage gap closure)

Manufacturing Test & Yield

Collaborate with

test engineering and ATE teams

on test program development

Optimize

test cost : pattern count, test time, multi-site efficiency, compression ratio

Support

yield analysis and diagnosis : failing pattern debug, defect localization, systematic vs. random fail classification

Develop and maintain

DFT documentation : test architecture specs, coverage reports, test insertion guidelines

Required Qualifications

Education:

B.S./M.S./Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

Experience:

4–10+ years in DFT, debug subsystem design, or silicon test engineering

Strong expertise in one or both domains:

Proficiency in

RTL design

using Verilog/SystemVerilog

Experience with

industry DFT tools :

Knowledge of

JTAG/IEEE 1149.1

standard and TAP controller state machine

Experience with

ATPG pattern generation , fault models (SA0/SA1, transition, IDDQ), and coverage analysis

Familiarity with

memory test

(March algorithms, repair, redundancy, fuse programming)

Strong

scripting skills : Tcl, Python, Perl for tool automation and flow development

Understanding of

SoC integration

and multi-IP DFT challenges

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📌 Design for Test (DFT) Engineer - north york (Winnipeg)
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📍 Winnipeg