Apparatus, system and/or method for converting a serial test to a parallel test

• US 20050234674A1
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Bundy, Laura Marie, Keahey, Julia Ann
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/119
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31919 Storing and outputting test patterns G01R31/31924 takes precedence; arithmetic and random test patterns generator
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31924 Voltage or current aspects, e.g. driver, receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31926 Routing signals to or from the device under test [DUT], e.g. switch matrix, pin multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/2602 Concurrent test
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/5602 Interface to device under test
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/56 External testing equipment for static stores, e.g. automatic test equipment [ATE]; Interfaces therefor

Abstract

Test development tools, systems and/or methods which include providing access to a pre-established serial test program having a series of test code portions; providing for evaluating the series of test code portions and determining whether any respective test code portions of said series of test code portions are independently operable thereby allowing for combination in a new test program, said evaluating and determining steps providing at least one output result thereof; and providing for defining a new test program including a new test code portion for at least partially concurrently testing first and second sub-parts of a device under test using the at least one output result of the evaluating and determining steps.

Claims

1. A test development tool comprising:

test development program code for accessing a pre-established serial test program, * said pre-established serial test program having been previously established for respective first and second sub-parts on a device under test, and said pre-established serial test program having a series of test code portions;

test development program code for evaluating the series of test code portions and determining whether any respective test code portions of said series of test code portions are independent subtest code portions that are independently operable thereby allowing for combination in a new concurrent test program, said test development program code for evaluating and determining providing at least one output result therefrom;

test development program code for defining a new concurrent test program for at least partially concurrently testing the first and second sub-parts of the device under test including defining at least one new test code portion for at least partially concurrently testing the first and second sub-parts of the device under test using the at least one output result of the test development code for evaluating and determining, the new test code portion being defined to have at least two of the independently operable subtest portions therein to operate concurrently.

2. A test development tool according to claim 1, in which the at least one new test code portion for at least partially concurrently testing provides for faster device test execution.

3. A test development tool according to claim 1 which further includes:

test development program code for prompting a user to participate in the evaluating and determining of the test code portions of the series of test code portions.

4. A test development tool according to claim 1 wherein the independent operability allowing for combination of the respective test code portions from the series of test code portions is due to originally independent vector operations of independently operable subtest code portions on respective sets of device pins.

5. A test development tool according to claim 4 wherein said independently operable subtest code portions are defined in the new test code portion as-a single subtest code portion to be performed via at least two independent ports in a multi-port testing environment.

6. A test development tool according to claim 5 wherein the at least two independent ports are defined by a corresponding at least two independent sets of pins.

7. A test development tool according to claim 4 wherein the independent operability allowing for combination is determined as a result of the discovery of respective sets of independently operational pins.

8. A test development tool according to claim 1 wherein the independent operability allowing for combination is such that the respective subtest code portions are mutually exclusively operable, yet provide for concurrent operation via testing on discrete first and second sets of pins through discrete first and second ports.

9. A test development tool according to claim 1 wherein the code for evaluating and determining includes code for determining the independent operability allowing for combination which includes code for finding respective sets of pins with independent vector behavior these respective sets of pins thereby being dividable into and usable to define respective independent ports for parallel execution.

10. A test development tool according to claim 9 wherein the code for evaluating and determining includes code for finding similar vector behavior on respective sets of pins and wherein the code for defining a new concurrent test program includes code for joining the similar vector behavior on respective sets of pins into and thereby defining common or clock ports.

11. A test development tool according to claim 1 wherein the respective subtest code portions are evaluated for time of operation, and the test development program code for evaluating and determining further includes test development program code selected from the group consisting of code for prompting a user to participate in the evaluation of the timing of the subtest code portions and code for algorithmically evaluating and determining suggested timing combinations of test code portions.

12. A test development tool according to claim 11 wherein the respective subtest code portions are matched in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

matching with each other based upon the similarity of their respective times of operation;

matching respective subtest code portions wherein the respective subtest code portions are matched one to one having similar respective times of operation; and

, matching respective subtest code portions wherein a first one of the subtest code portions is matched with a plurality of the subtest code portions such that the total times of operation each of the plurality of subtest code portions is substantially similar to the first one of the subtest code portions from the first pre-established serial test program.

13. A test development tool according to claim 1 wherein the respective independently operable subtest code portions are evaluated for new subtest code portion sequencing;

and, wherein the respective independently operable subtest code portions are matched with each other to create respective new subtest code portions and are placed into a new test flow as a result of the subtest sequencing evaluation.

14. A test development tool according to claim 13 which further includes:

test development program code for prompting a user to participate in the sequencing of the new subtest code portions.

15. A test development tool according to claim 1 which further includes:

test development program code for creating the new combined test code portions from the combination of one or more of the independently operable subtest code portions, said test development program code including subcode selected from the group consisting of;

pin assignment subcode;

subtest timing subcode;

voltage level subcode; and

,

stimulus sequence subcode.

16. A test development tool according to claim 1 wherein:

the test development code for evaluating and determining further comprises test development program code for evaluating the independent operability of first and second sets of subtest code portions of first and second pre-established subtests of the pre-established serial test program and for determining an organization for a combination of respective independently operably subtest code portions of said first and second sets of subtest code portions, each of said first and second pre-established subtests having been previously established for respective first and second sub-parts of the pre-established combination device under test;

the test development program code for defining a new concurrent test program for at least partially concurrently testing the first and second sub-parts of the device under test further comprises test development program code for combining subtest code portions, including combining the separate setups of vectors, timings and levels from the respective first and second sets of subtest code portions for the subtest code portions being combined and defining a new concurrent test program including at least one new combined subtest code portion for at least partially concurrently testing first and second pre-established sub-parts using the at least one output result of the code for evaluating and determining; and

, test development program code for providing at least one testmethod to run the at least one new combined subtest code portion of the new concurrent test program for the pre-established combination device under test including the first and second sub-parts.

17. A test development tool according to claim 16 further comprising test development program code for defining port assignments for the pins of the pre-established combination device under test.

18. A test development tool according to claim 17 in which the test development program code for defining port assignments is operative in at least one of the periods selected from the group consisting of:

before an evaluation of the relative timings of first and second sets of subtest code portions, after an evaluation of the relative timings of first and second sets of subtest code portions, after the combining of subtest code portions, and after the providing of at least one testmethod to run the at least one new combined subtest code portion of the new concurrent test program.

19. A system comprising:

means for accessing a pre-established serial test program, said pre-established serial test program having at least first and second sets of subtest code portions, each having been previously established as parts of the pre-established serial test program for respective pre-established sub-parts of a previously-established combined device;

means for evaluating the at least first and second sets test code portions and for determining whether any subtest code portions of each of the respective first and second sets of test code portions are independently operable and thereby operatively compatible, said means for evaluating and determining providing an output result of the evaluation and determination;

means for defining a new test program including at least one new subtest code portion using the output result of the evaluation and determination.

20. A method comprising:

accessing a pre-established serial test program, said pre-established serial test program having been previously established for testing respective first and second pre-established sub-parts of a device under test, and said pre-established serial test program having respective first and second sets of subtest code portions;

evaluating the first and second sets of subtest code portions and determining whether any respective subtest code portions of said first and second sets of subtest code portions have features allowing for combination into a new subtest code portion in a new test program, said evaluating and determining steps providing at least one output result thereof;

defining a new test program including a new subtest code portion for concurrently testing first and second pre-established sub-parts using the at least one output result of the evaluating and determining steps.

21. Apparatus comprising:

a computer readable medium;

wherein a computer program is stored on the computer readable medium, the computer readable medium being adapted for developing at least a portion of a circuit device test in a concurrent multi-port automated test environment;

said computer program comprising;

program code to access a pre-established serial test program and to access any respective subtest code portions of the pre-established serial test program;

program code to evaluate whether any of the respective subtest code portions may be combined to create a new subtest code portion in a new test program, said program code to evaluate providing at least one output result therefrom; and

program code to define a new subtest code portion of a new test program using the at least one output result of the program code to evaluate.