Test architecture having multiple FPGA based hardware accelerator blocks for testing multiple DUTs independently

• US 10,162,007 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Inventors: Chan, Gerald, Kushnick, Eric, Su, Mei-Mei, Niemic, Andrew Steele
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalbo, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/773,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 714724, 702119
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31724 Test controller, e.g. BIST state machine for scan test G01R31/318555
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31903 tester configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31907 Modular tester, e.g. controlling and coordinating instruments in a bus based architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31919 Storing and outputting test patterns G01R31/31924 takes precedence; arithmetic and random test patterns generator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/56 External testing equipment for static stores, e.g. automatic test equipment [ATE]; Interfaces therefor

Abstract

Automated test equipment (ATE) capable of performing a test of semiconductor devices is presented. The ATE comprises a computer system comprising a system controller communicatively coupled to a tester processor. The system controller is operable to transmit instructions to the processor and the processor is operable to generate commands and data from the instructions for coordinating testing of a plurality of devices under test (DUTs). The ATE further comprises a plurality of FPGA components communicatively coupled to the processor via a bus. Each of the FPGA components comprises at least one hardware accelerator circuit operable to internally generate commands and data transparently from the processor for testing one of the DUTs. Additionally, the tester processor is configured to operate in one of several functional modes, wherein the functional modes are configured to allocate functionality for generating commands and data between the processor and the FPGA components.

Claims

1. An automated test equipment (ATE) apparatus comprising:

a computer system comprising a system controller, wherein said system controller, using a network switch, is communicatively coupled to a site module board comprising a tester processor and a plurality of FPGAs, wherein said system controller is operable to transmit instructions to said tester processor, and wherein said tester processor is operable to generate commands and data from said instructions for coordinating testing of a plurality of devices under test (DUTs);

the plurality of FPGA components are communicatively coupled to said tester processor via a bus on said site module board, wherein each of said plurality of FPGA components comprises at least one hardware accelerator circuit operable to internally generate commands and data transparently from said tester processor for testing a DUT of a plurality of DUTs; and

a plurality of I/O ports, each for communicating with a respective DUT and each communicatively coupled to a respective FPGA of said plurality of FPGAs, and

wherein said tester processor is configured to operate in one of a plurality of functional modes, wherein each functional mode is configured to allocate functionality for generating commands and for generating data between said tester processor and said plurality of FPGA components in a different manner, wherein said plurality of functional modes comprises a hardware accelerator pattern generator mode, wherein, in the hardware accelerator pattern generator mode;

said tester processor is configured to generate all commands for coordinating testing of a plurality of DUTs; and

said hardware accelerator circuits of said plurality of FPGA components perform a step selected from the group comprising;

generate test pattern data, write said test pattern data to said plurality of DUTs and compare the data read from said plurality of DUTs.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of memory devices wherein each memory device is coupled to one of said plurality of FPGA components and wherein each memory device stores test pattern data to be written to one of said plurality of DUTs.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said functional modes comprise four functional modes comprising a bypass mode, said hardware accelerator pattern generator mode, a hardware accelerator memory mode and a hardware accelerator packet builder mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein, in the bypass mode, the tester processor is configured to generate all commands and data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein, in said bypass mode, said bus carries the command and data load for said plurality of DUTs connected to said tester processor.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein, in the hardware accelerator memory mode:

said tester processor is configured to generate all commands for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs; and

said hardware accelerator circuits of said plurality of FPGA components perform a step selected from the group comprising;

read said test pattern data from said memory device, write said test pattern data to said plurality of DUTs and compare the data read from said plurality of DUTs.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein, in said hardware accelerator memory mode, said bus carries only the command load for said plurality of DUTs connected to said tester processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein, in the hardware accelerator packet builder mode, the hardware accelerator circuits of said plurality of FPGA components are configured to generate both test data and command data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein, in the hardware accelerator packet builder mode, said bus carries only parameter information from said tester processor to said hardware accelerator circuits of said plurality of FPGA components.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in said hardware accelerator pattern generator mode, said bus carries only the command load for said plurality of DUTs connected to said tester processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of functional modes comprises a hardware accelerator memory mode, wherein in the hardware accelerator memory mode:

said tester processor is configured to generate all commands for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs; and

said hardware accelerator circuits of said plurality of FPGA components perform a step selected from the group comprising;

read said test pattern data from said memory device, write said test pattern data to said plurality of DUTs and compare the data read from said plurality of DUTs.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of functional modes comprises a hardware accelerator packet builder mode, wherein in the hardware accelerator packet builder mode, the hardware accelerator circuits of said plurality of FPGA components are configured to generate both test data and command data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of functional modes comprises a bypass mode, wherein the bypass mode comprises generating all commands and data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs using said tester processor.

14. A method for testing using an automated test equipment (ATE) comprising:

transmitting instructions from a system controller of a computer system to a tester processor, wherein said system controller, using a network switch, is communicatively coupled to a site module board comprising the tester processor and a plurality of FPGAs, wherein said tester processor is operable to generate commands and data from said instructions for coordinating testing of a plurality of devices under test (DUTs);

generating commands and data transparently from said tester processor for testing of a plurality of DUTs using hardware accelerator circuits programmed within a plurality of FPGA components, wherein said plurality of FPGA components is communicatively coupled to said tester processor via a bus on said site module board and wherein each hardware accelerator circuit is operable to test a DUT of said plurality of DUTs;

communicating with a respective DUT through an I/O port, wherein said I/O port is communicatively coupled to a respective FPGA of said plurality of FPGAs; and

operating the tester processor in one of a plurality of functional modes, wherein each functional mode is configured to allocate functionality for generating commands and for generating data between said tester processor and said plurality of FPGA components in a different manner, wherein said plurality of functional modes comprises a hardware accelerator pattern generator mode, wherein the hardware accelerator pattern generator mode further comprises;

generating all commands for coordinating testing of a plurality of DUTs using said tester processor; and

using said hardware accelerator circuits to perform a step selected from the group comprising;

generating all test pattern data, writing said test pattern data and comparing the test pattern data read from said plurality of DUTs.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising storing test pattern data to be written to said plurality of DUTs to a plurality of memory devices, wherein each memory device is coupled to one of said plurality of FPGA components.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said functional modes comprise four functional modes comprising a bypass mode, the hardware accelerator pattern generator mode, a hardware accelerator memory mode and a hardware accelerator packet builder mode.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein, the bypass mode further comprises generating all commands and data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs using said tester processor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein, in said bypass mode, said bus carrying the command and data load for said plurality of DUTs connected to said tester processor.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, the hardware accelerator memory mode further comprises:

generating all commands for coordinating testing of a plurality of DUTs using said tester processor; and

using said hardware accelerator circuits to perform a step selected from the group comprising;

reading test pattern data from said memory devices, writing said test pattern data to said plurality of DUTs, and comparing the data read from said plurality of DUTs.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein, in the hardware accelerator memory mode, said bus carrying only the command load for said plurality of DUTs connected to said tester processor.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein, the hardware accelerator packet builder mode further comprises generating all commands and data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs using said hardware accelerator circuits.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein, in the hardware accelerator packet builder mode, said bus carrying only parameter information from said tester processor to said hardware accelerator circuits of said plurality of FPGA components.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein, in the hardware accelerator pattern generator mode, said bus carrying only the command load for said plurality of DUTs connected to said tester processor.

24. A tester comprising:

a system controller for controlling a test program for testing a plurality of DUTs;

a plurality of modules operable to interface with and test said plurality of DUTs, said plurality of modules coupled to said system controller via a first communication bus, wherein each module comprises a site module board, and wherein each site module board comprises;

a tester processor coupled to communicate with said system controller to receive instructions and data therefrom in accordance with said test program;

a plurality of programmable instantiated tester blocks coupled to said tester processor via a second bus on said site module board, each programmable instantiated tester block operable to generate test data for application to a respective DUT in a way transparent to said test processor, further operable to receive and compare test data generated by said respective DUT in a way transparent to said tester processor, and further yet operable to be programmed to communicate with said respective DUT in a communication protocol compatible with said respective DUT, wherein said programmable instantiated tester blocks are implemented within Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices;

a local memory coupled to said plurality of programmable instantiated tester blocks for storing test data therein; and

a plurality of IO ports for coupling said plurality of DUTs to said plurality of modules wherein each respective programmable instantiated tester block is operable to control at least one respective DUT of said plurality of DUTs;

wherein each module of said plurality of modules is operable in one of a plurality of functional modes, wherein each functional mode is configured to allocate functionality for generating commands and for generating data between said tester processor and said plurality of programmable instantiated tester blocks in a different manner, wherein one of the functional modes is a hardware accelerator pattern generator mode, wherein in the hardware accelerator pattern generator mode;

said tester processor is configured to generate all commands for coordinating testing of a plurality of DUTs; and

said plurality of programmable instantiated tester blocks are operable to perform a step selected from the group comprising;

generate test pattern data, write said test pattern data to said plurality of DUTs and compare the data read from said plurality of DUTs.

25. A tester as described in claim 24 wherein each programmable instantiated tester block comprises:

a programmable hardware accelerator block operable to generate test patterns for application to a respective DUT and operable to read test data generated by said respective DUT for comparison thereof; and

a programmable protocol engine operable for being programmed to communicate with said respective DUT in a communication protocol compatible therewith and operable for communicating with said respective DUT using said communication protocol.

26. A tester as described in claim 25 wherein said programmable hardware accelerator block comprises:

a pattern generator block; and

a packet builder block.

27. A tester as described in claim 24 wherein said plurality of IO ports are operable to be coupled to a load board, wherein said plurality of DUTs are coupled to said load board.

28. A tester as described in claim 24 wherein said tester processor is operable to coordinate functionality of said plurality of programmable instantiated tester blocks via said test program.

29. A tester as described in claim 24 wherein each module of said plurality of modules is operable within one of four functional modes comprising:

a bypass mode;

the hardware accelerator pattern generator mode;

a hardware accelerator memory mode; and

a hardware accelerator packet builder mode.

30. A tester as described in claim 29 wherein, in the bypass mode, the tester processor is configured to generate all commands and data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs.

31. A tester as described in claim 29 wherein, in the hardware accelerator memory mode:

said tester processor is configured to generate all commands for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs; and

said plurality of programmable instantiated tester blocks are operable to perform a step selected from the group comprising;

read said test pattern data from said memory device, write said test pattern data to said plurality of DUTs and compare the data read from said plurality of DUTs.

32. A tester as described in claim 29 wherein, in the hardware accelerator packet builder mode, said plurality of programmable instantiated tester blocks are configured to generate both test data and command data for coordinating testing of said plurality of DUTs.