Testing system and method

• US 10,379,154 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xcerra Corporation (COHU Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Xcerra Corporation (COHU Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Benjamin, Rangwala, Niraj, McConnell, David, Massenn, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanghera, Jas A
• Application Number:
  US15/703,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20180080978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07378 using an intermediate adapter, e.g. space transformers G01R1/07371 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07385 using switching of signals between probe tips and test bed, i.e. the standard contact matrix which in its turn connects to the tester
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/25 using digital measurement techniques
• 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: G01R 31/31924 Voltage or current aspects, e.g. driver, receiver

Abstract

A method, computer program product, computing system, and an automated test platform for testing at least one device under test includes a test head configured to receive the at least one device under test. A processing system is configured to: provide a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to the at least one device under test, and monitor a current flow into the at least one device under test during each of the plurality of voltages, thus generating a plurality of monitored current values that correspond to the plurality of voltages. The plurality of monitored current values are stored.

Claims

1. An automated test platform for testing at least one device under test, the automated test platform comprising:

a test head configured to receive the at least one device under test;

a processing system configured to;

provide a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to the at least one device under test, wherein the voltage signal having the plurality of voltages is a temporally-defined voltage signal having a plurality of voltages, wherein an amplitude and a duration are defined for each of the plurality of voltages,

monitor a current flow into the at least one device under test during each of the plurality of voltages, thus generating a plurality of monitored current values that correspond to the plurality of voltages, and

store the plurality of monitored current values.

2. The automated test platform of claim 1 further comprising:

an interconnection platform configured to couple the processing system and the test head.

3. The automated test platform of claim 1 further comprising:

an adapter board configured to couple the at least one device under test to the test head.

4. The automated test platform of claim 3 wherein the at least one device under test includes a plurality of devices under test.

5. The automated test platform of claim 4 wherein the adapter board is configured to couple the plurality of devices under test to the test head.

6. The automated test platform of claim 1 wherein the processing system includes:

a variable voltage source configured to provide the voltage signal having the plurality of voltages to the at least one device under test.

7. The automated test platform of claim 6 wherein the processing system further includes:

a current monitoring system configured to define the plurality of monitored current values that correspond to the plurality of voltages.

8. The automated test platform of claim 7 wherein the current monitoring system further includes:

a current monitoring circuit for generating an analog representation of the plurality of monitored current values.

9. The automated test platform of claim 8 wherein the current monitoring system further includes:

a current conversion circuit configured to convert the analog representation of the plurality of monitored current values into a digital representation of the plurality of monitored current values.

10. The automated test platform of claim 1 wherein the plurality of monitored current values is temporally aligned with the temporally-defined voltage signal.

11. A computer-implemented method, executed on a computing device, the computer-implemented method comprising:

providing a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to at least one device under test, wherein the voltage signal having the plurality of voltages is a temporally-defined voltage signal having a plurality of voltages, wherein an amplitude and a duration are defined for each of the plurality of voltages,

monitoring a current flow into the at least one device under test during each of the plurality of voltages, thus generating a plurality of monitored current values that correspond to the plurality of voltages, and

storing the plurality of monitored current values.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of monitored current values is temporally aligned with the temporally-defined voltage signal.

13. A computing system including a processor and memory configured to perform operations comprising:

providing a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to at least one device under test, wherein the voltage signal having the plurality of voltages is a temporally-defined voltage signal having a plurality of voltages, wherein an amplitude and a duration are defined for each of the plurality of voltages,

monitoring a current flow into the at least one device under test during each of the plurality of voltages, thus generating a plurality of monitored current values that correspond to the plurality of voltages, and

storing the plurality of monitored current values.

14. The computing system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of monitored current values is temporally aligned with the temporally-defined voltage signal.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to at least one device under test, wherein the voltage signal having the plurality of voltages is a temporally-defined voltage signal having a plurality of voltages, wherein an amplitude and a duration are defined for each of the plurality of voltages,

means for monitoring a current flow into the at least one device under test during each of the plurality of voltages, thus generating a plurality of monitored current values that correspond to the plurality of voltages, and

means for storing the plurality of monitored current values.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the plurality of monitored current values is temporally aligned with the temporally-defined voltage signal.