Testing system and method

• US 10,444,278 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• 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, Ho, Peter, Maassen, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vinh P
• Application Number:
  US15/703,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20180080979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 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, 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 determine if one or more of the plurality of monitored current values exceeds one or more of a plurality of current thresholds.

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,

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

determine if one or more of the plurality of monitored current values exceeds one or more of a plurality of current thresholds.

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 further comprising:

a switching system associated with the at least one device under test.

7. The automated test platform of claim 6 wherein the switching system is configured to selectively disconnect the voltage signal having the plurality of voltages from the at least one device under test.

8. The automated test platform of claim 7 wherein the processing system is further configured to:

if one or more of the plurality of monitored current values exceeds one or more of the plurality of current thresholds, disconnect the voltage signal having the plurality of voltages from the at least one device under test.

9. The automated test platform of claim 6 wherein the switching system includes one or more of:

at least one mechanical switch assembly; and

at least one solid state switch assembly.

10. The automated test platform of claim 1 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.

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

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

providing a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to the at least one device under test;

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

determining if one or more of the plurality of monitored current values exceeds one or more of a plurality of current thresholds.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 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.

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

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

providing a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to the at least one device under test;

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

determining if one or more of the plurality of monitored current values exceeds one or more of a plurality of current thresholds.

16. The computing system of claim 15 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.

17. The computing system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of monitored current values is temporally aligned with the temporally-defined voltage signal.

18. A computer program product residing on a computer readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed across one or more processors, causes at least a portion of the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

providing a voltage signal having a plurality of voltages to the at least one device under test;

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

determining if one or more of the plurality of monitored current values exceeds one or more of a plurality of current thresholds.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 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.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the plurality of monitored current values is temporally aligned with the temporally-defined voltage signal.