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Serial Vector Format
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<p>Serial Vector Format (SVF) is a file format that contains <a href="/facts/Boundary_scan/dRYeMnXx">boundary scan</a> vectors to be sent to an <a href="/facts/Electronic_circuit/IRfQ6Cc2">electronic circuit</a> using a <a href="/facts/JTAG/IxRc5rG7">JTAG</a> interface. Boundary scan vectors consist of the following data: </p> <ul><li>Stimulus data: This is data to be sent to a device or <a href="/facts/Electronic_circuit/IRfQ6Cc2">electronic circuit</a></li> <li>Expected response: This is the data the device or circuit is expected to send back if there is no error</li> <li><a href="/facts/Mask_(computing)/d9Cu1A1Y">Mask</a> data: Defines which <a href="/facts/Bit/S972NSaD">bits</a> 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</li> <li>Additional information on how to send the data (e.g. maximum <a href="/facts/Clock_signal/9UfTzGHx">clock</a> frequency)</li></ul> <p>The SVF standard was jointly developed by companies <i><a href="/facts/Texas_Instruments/88NUhuHF">Texas Instruments</a></i> and <i><a href="/facts/Teradyne/0EzUszdj">Teradyne</a></i>. Control over the format has been handed off to boundary-scan solution provider <i>ASSET InterTech</i>. The most recent revision is Revision E. </p><p>SVF files are used to transfer boundary scan data between tools. As an example a <a href="/facts/VHDL/H6Exdjfs">VHDL</a> compiler may create an SVF file that is read by a tool for programming <a href="/facts/CPLD/CUKHIAID">CPLDs</a>. </p><p>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. </p>