Systems and methods for wireless device testing

• US 10,247,773 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Menon, Sankaran M., Sheikh, Rehan M., Kuehnis, Rolf H., Peterson, John Michael, Rahman, Asifur, Detofsky, Abram M., Fazlian, Mohsen
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivera Vargas, Manuel A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez Bermudez, Yaritza H
• Application Number:
  US15/200,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20180003764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The disclosed systems, devices, and methods may provide for wireless testing of devices and, in particular, wireless testing of semiconductor devices comprising integrated circuits, memory, and logic circuitry that can be present on a wafer. The semiconductor devices can be tested for functional defects by applying one or more test patterns to the semiconductor devices. Further, for devices under test that do not have built-in wireless connectivity (for example, those that do not have a built-in Bluetooth low-energy engine), the disclosure describes systems and methods that the devices under test can use for external wireless connectivity (e.g., an external board having Bluetooth low-energy) on the low-bandwidth interface. In one example embodiment, for high-bandwidth scan testing, wireless connectivity modules (such as those implementing WiFi or WiGig) are described, which can be used to meet the bandwidth requirements of the one or more tests.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions;

a logic circuit;

a test block comprising one or more scan blocks and a test module configured to test at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device;

a wireless connectivity module configured to wirelessly communicate with a tester device, the wireless connectivity module comprising a first communication circuitry and a second communication circuitry, the second communication circuitry comprising a high bandwidth wireless communication connection; and

at least one processor of one or more processors configured to access the memory, wherein the at least one processor of the one or more processors is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

determine, using the first communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module, a first wireless connection between the device and the tester device;

determine, using the second communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module, a second wireless connection between the device and the tester device;

receive, using the first communication circuitry over the first wireless connection, a first signal from the tester device, the first signal comprising first data including a manufacturing test for at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device;

cause to send the first data to the test module of the test block;

receive, using the second communication circuitry over the second wireless connection, a second signal from the tester device, the second signal comprising second data including a scan pattern for a scan test;

convert, using a serial to parallel scan converter, the scan pattern to a number of parallel scan inputs;

cause to send the parallel scan inputs to the one or more scan blocks of the device;

receive from the test module, third data indicative of a result of the manufacturing test;

receive from the one or more scan blocks, fourth data indicative of a result of the scan test;

cause to send, using the wireless connectivity module over the first wireless connection, the third data to the tester device; and

cause to send, using the wireless connectivity module over the second wireless connection, the fourth data to the tester device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connectivity module comprises wireless communication circuitry for low bandwidth communication.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication circuitry comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the test module is configured to execute the manufacturing test on at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connectivity module is in communication with an external board that includes a wireless communication circuitry for wireless communication with the tester device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connectivity module further comprises an embedded controller that activates a wireless communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuitry comprises a WiFi or a WiGig transceiver.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless connectivity module includes a high bandwidth wired connection interface for wired communication with the tester device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the high bandwidth wired connection interface further comprises a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) connection.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the wireless connectivity module further comprises an embedded controller that activates the second communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, by the processor, a first wireless connection and a second wireless connection between a device and a tester device, the second wireless connection comprising a high bandwidth wireless communication connection;

receiving, by the processor, over the first wireless connection, a first signal from the tester device, the first signal comprising first data including a manufacturing test for at least one of a logic circuit or a memory of the device;

causing to send, by the processor, the first data to a test module of a test block of the device;

receiving, by the processor, over the second wireless connection, a second signal from the tester device, the second signal comprising second data including a scan pattern for a scan test;

converting, using a serial to parallel scan converter, the scan pattern to a number of parallel scan inputs;

sending, by the processor, the parallel scan inputs to one or more scan blocks of the device;

receiving, by the processor, from the test module, third data indicative of a result of the manufacturing test;

receiving, by the processor, from the one or more scan blocks, fourth data indicative of a result of the scan test;

causing to send, by the processor, over the first wireless connection, the third data to the tester device; and

causing to send, by the processor, over the second wireless connection, the fourth data to the tester device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions to cause to send the first data to the test module of the test block further comprise instructions to execute the manufacturing test on at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device.

13. A method comprising:

determining, using a first communication circuitry of a wireless connectivity module of a device, a first wireless connection between the device and a tester device;

determining, using a second communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module, a second wireless connection between the device and the tester device, the second wireless connection comprising a high bandwidth wireless communication connection;

receiving, using the first communication circuitry over the first wireless connection, a first signal from the tester device, the first signal comprising first data including a manufacturing test for at least one of a logic circuit or a memory of the device;

sending the first data to a test module;

receiving, using the second communication circuitry over the second wireless connection, a second signal from the tester device, the second signal comprising second data including a scan pattern for a scan test;

converting, using a serial to parallel scan converter, the scan pattern to a number of parallel scan inputs;

sending the parallel scan inputs to one or more scan blocks of the device;

receiving from the test module, third data indicative of a result of the manufacturing test;

receiving from the one or more scan blocks, fourth data indicative of a result of the scan test;

sending, using the first communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module, the third data to the tester device; and

sending, using the second communication circuitry of the wireless connectivity module, the fourth data to the tester device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising executing the manufacturing test on at least one of the logic circuit or the memory of the device.