Programmable pin electronics driver

• US 20070024291A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Persons, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/193,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20070024291A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/713
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31924 Voltage or current aspects, e.g. driver, receiver

Abstract

Apparatus that provides an output voltage to a device under test (DUT) includes a reference waveform generator to provide a waveform having a predefined swing, where the waveform is an analog signal that is based on data, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to receive the waveform, to scale the waveform using a scaling factor to produce a scaled waveform, and to generate a current that corresponds to the scaled waveform, and a resistive circuit connected to a circuit path that leads to the DUT. The current passing through the resistive circuit produces a voltage drop. The output voltage is based, at least in part, on the voltage drop.

Claims

1. An apparatus to provide an output voltage to a device under test (DUT), the apparatus comprising:

a reference waveform generator to provide a waveform having a predefined swing, the waveform comprising an analog signal that is based on data;

a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to receive the waveform, to scale the waveform using a scaling factor to produce a scaled waveform, and to generate a current that corresponds to the scaled waveform; and

a resistive circuit connected in a circuit path that leads to the DUT, the current passing through the resistive circuit to produce a voltage drop, wherein the output voltage is based, at least in part, on the voltage drop.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DAC is programmable;

and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a processing device to provide the scaling factor to the DAC.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a formatter to receive the data and to adjust a timing of the data so that the timing comports with timing requirements of the DUT.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a vector memory to store the data, the vector memory including timing information along with the data; and

a processing device to provide the timing requirements to the formatter;

wherein the formatter alters the timing information so that the timing of the data comports with the timing requirements of the DUT.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage driver to provide at least one predefined voltage;

wherein the output voltage is also based on the predefined voltage.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the output voltage is based on a difference between the predefined voltage and the voltage drop.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined swing accounts for losses caused on a circuit path to the DUT.

8. An apparatus to provide an output voltage to a device under test (DUT), the apparatus comprising:

a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to receive a waveform having a predefined swing, to scale the waveform using a scaling factor to produce a scaled waveform, and to generate a current that corresponds to the scaled waveform;

a resistive circuit connected in a circuit path that leads to the DUT, the current passing through the resistive circuit to produce a voltage drop; and

a voltage driver to provide a predefined voltage, the output voltage being based on at least one of the predefined voltage and the voltage drop.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a processing device to control the DAC so that the current is not generated;

wherein, when the current is not generated, the output voltage is based on the predefined voltage, but not the voltage drop.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the voltage driver is programmable to provide plural predefined voltages, the output voltage being based on one of the plural predefined voltages.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the DAC is programmable;

and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a processing device to provide the scaling factor to the DAC.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a formatter to receive data and to adjust a timing of the data so that the timing comports with timing requirements of the DUT;

wherein the waveform is based on the data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a vector memory to store the data, the vector memory including timing information along with the data; and

a processing device to provide the timing requirements to the formatter;

wherein the formatter alters the timing information so that the timing of the data comports with the timing requirements of the DUT.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein scaling comprises altering at least one of a swing of the waveform and an attenuation of the waveform.

15. A method of providing an output voltage to a device under test (DUT), the method comprising:

generating a waveform having a predefined swing;

scaling the waveform to produce a scaled waveform, wherein scaling is performed using a digitally-programmed scaling factor to change the predefined swing, and wherein scaling results in an output current that corresponds to the scaled waveform;

passing the output current through a resistive circuit to produce a voltage drop;

reducing a predefined voltage by the voltage drop to produce the output voltage; and

providing the output voltage to the DUT.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the predefined voltage from a voltage driver, the predefined voltage comprising one of plural voltages available from the voltage driver.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the waveform is generated to take into account losses that occur on a circuit path to the DUT.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving data from a memory; and

changing a timing of the data to comport with a timing of the DUT;

wherein the waveform is generated from data with changed timing.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the waveform is analog and scaling is performed using a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

16. (canceled)