OPTIMIZED AUTOMATED TEST EQUIPMENT MULTI-PATH RECEIVER CONCEPT

• US 20120208484A1
• Filed: 08/18/2009
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Inventors: Holzer, Kyle David
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/341
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3167 Testing of combined analog and digital circuits testing ADC's H03M1/1071
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31926 Routing signals to or from the device under test [DUT], e.g. switch matrix, pin multiplexing

Abstract

A multi-path receiver for automated test equipment. The multi-path receiver includes an input for receiving low-power signals and high-power signals. The high-power signals have signal amplitude higher than the low-power signals. The multi-path receiver further comprises an output for outputting a received signal, a first path for transmitting a received high-power signal from the input to the output and a second path for transmitting a received low-power signal from the input to the output. The second path comprises an amplifier. A first switch is provided for switching a received high-power signal to the first path and for switching a received low-power signal to the second path. A high-power amplifier is also connected between the input and the first switch for amplifying the received signal independent of its input power before it is switched with the first path or the second path.

Claims

1. A multi-path receiver for an automated test equipment, the multi-path receiver comprising:

an input for receiving low-power signals and high-power signals, the high-power signals having a signal amplitude higher than the low-power signals;

an output for outputting a received signal;

a first path for transmitting a received high-power signal from the input to the output;

a second path for transmitting a received low-power signal from the input to the output, the second path comprising an amplifier;

a first switch for switching a received high-power signal to the first path and for switching a received low-power signal to the second path; and

a high-power amplifier coupled between the input and the first switch for amplifying the received signal independent of its input power before it is switched to the first or second path.

2. The multi-path receiver according to claim 1, wherein a low-power signal is characterized by a signal power level of up to −

50 dBm and wherein a high-power signal is characterized by a signal power level of up to +10 dBm.

3. The multi-path receiver according to claim 2, wherein the high-power amplifier is characterized in that its 1-dB-compression point is located at a signal power level above a highest possible signal power level of a received signal at the input, wherein an amplification of received low- and/or high-power signals may be performed without significant nonlinear distortions.

4. The multi-path receiver according to claim 3, comprising a second switch coupled between the output and the first path and the second path for coupling the first path or the second path to the output dependent on a switch position of the first switch, wherein the input is coupled to the output via the first path or the second path.

5. The multi-path receiver according to claim 4, wherein the first switch and the second switch are coupled to a device for measuring a power of a signal received at the input, and wherein further a switch position of the first switch and a switch position of the second switch depend on a measured input signal power.

6. The multi-path receiver according to claim 1, wherein a variable attenuator is coupled between the output and the first path and the second path, wherein further the variable attenuator is configured to attenuate received signals coming from the first path and the second path to a predefined output signal level.

7. The multi-path receiver according to claim 6, wherein an attenuation of the variable attenuator is dependent on a switch position of the first switch and a switch position of the second switch, wherein it is set to a lower attenuation when the switch positions indicate a low-power input signal, or, to a higher attenuation when the switch positions indicate a high-power input signal.

8. The multi-path receiver according to claim 1, wherein the output is coupled to a circuit for down-converting a received signal in frequency.

9. An automated test equipment comprising a plurality of test pins for testing a device-under-test, each of the test pins being coupled to an input of a multipath-receiver, the multi-path receiver comprising:

an input for receiving low-power signals as well as high-power signals, the high-power signals having a signal amplitude higher than the low-power signals;

an output for outputting a received signal;

a first path for transmitting a received high-power signal from the input to the output;

a second path for transmitting a received low-power signal from the input to the output, the second path comprising an amplifier;

a first switch for switching a received high-power signal to the first path and for switching a received low-power signal to the second path; and

a high-power amplifier coupled between the input and the first switch for amplifying the received signal independent of its input power before it is switched to the first or second path.

10. The automated test equipment of claim 9, wherein a low-power signal is characterized by a signal power level of up to −

50 dBm and wherein a high-power signal is characterized by a signal power level of up to +10 dBm.

11. The automated test equipment of claim 10, wherein the high-power amplifier is characterized in that its 1-dB-compression point is located at a signal power level above a highest possible signal power level of a received signal at the input, such that an amplification of received low- and/or high-power signals may be performed without significant nonlinear distortions.

12. The automated test equipment of claim 11, comprising a second switch between the output and the first path and the second path for connecting the first path or the second path to the output dependent on a switch position of the first switch, such that the input is coupled to the output via the first path or the second path.

13. The automated test equipment of claim 12, wherein the first switch and the second switch are coupled to a device for measuring a power of a signal received at the input, and wherein a switch position of the first switch and a switch position of the second switch depends on a measured input signal power.

14. The automated test equipment of claim 9, wherein a variable attenuator is coupled between the output and the first path and the second path, and wherein the variable attenuator is configured to attenuate received signals coming from the first path and the second path to a predefined output signal level.

15. The automated test equipment of claim 14, wherein an attenuation of the variable attenuator is dependent on a switch position of the first switch and a switch position of the second switch, such that it is set to a lower attenuation when the switch positions indicate a low-power input signal, or, to a higher attenuation when the switch positions indicate a high-power input signal.

16. The automated test equipment of claim 9, wherein the output is coupled to a circuit for down-converting a received signal in frequency.

17. A method for testing a mixed-signal integrated circuit, the method comprising:

accessing an analog test signal from the mixed-signal integrated circuit;

amplifying the received test signal independently of its input power with a high-power amplifier to obtain an amplified test signal; and

switching the amplified test signal to one of a high-power signal path in case of a high-power test signal and a low-power signal path in case of a low-power test signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a low-power signal is characterized by a signal power level of up to −

50 dBm and wherein a high-power signal is characterized by a signal power level of up to +10 dBm.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

measuring a power of the analog test signal, wherein switching the amplified test signal to one of the high-power signal path and the low-power signal path depends on a measured analog test signal power.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

attenuating received analog test signals coming from the high-power signal path and the low-power signal path to predefined output signal levels.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising down-converting a received analog test signal in frequency.