AUTOMATED TEST PLATFORM

• US 20140208082A1
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xcerra Corporation (COHU Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: LTX-Credence Corporation (COHU Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fritzsche, William A., Poffenberger, Russell Elliott, Amy, Michael E., Petrov, Todor K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 712/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/273 Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits G06F11/263 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2733 Test interface between tester and unit under test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30 Arrangements for executing machine instructions, e.g. instruction decode for executing microinstructions G06F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30003 Arrangements for executing specific machine instructions

Abstract

A segmented subsystem, for use within an automated test platform, includes a first subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the first subsystem segment. A second subsystem segment is configured to execute one or more instructions within the second subsystem segment. The first subsystem segment includes: a first functionality, a second functionality, and a status polling engine. The status polling engine is configured to: determine a first status for the first functionality and a second status for the second functionality, and generate a consolidated status indicator for the first subsystem segment based, at least in part, upon the first status for the first functionality and the second status for the second functionality.

Claims

1. A segmented subsystem, for use within an automated test platform, comprising:

a first subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the first subsystem segment; and

a second subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the second subsystem segment;

wherein the first subsystem segment includes;

a first functionality,

a second functionality, and

a status polling engine,

wherein the status polling engine is configured to;

determine a first status for the first functionality and a second status for the second functionality, and

generate a consolidated status indicator for the first subsystem segment based, at least in part, upon the first status for the first functionality and the second status for the second functionality.

2. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the first functionality includes a first status register associated with the first functionality and the status polling engine is further configured to read the first status register to determine the first status for the first functionality.

3. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the second functionality includes a second status register associated with the second functionality and the status polling engine is further configured to read the second status register to determine the second status for the second functionality.

4. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the first subsystem segment further includes:

a status mirroring engine configured to provide the consolidated status indicator to a remote memory system.

5. The segmented subsystem of claim 4 wherein the remote memory system is accessible by one or more CPU subsystems included within the automated test platform.

6. The segmented subsystem of claim 4 wherein the first subsystem segment includes a first DMA engine configured to allow the first subsystem segment to read data from and/or write data to the remote memory system.

7. The segmented subsystem of claim 6 wherein providing the consolidated status indicator to a remote memory system includes writing the consolidated status indicator to the remote memory system using the first DMA engine.

8. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the status polling engine is further configured to associate a first temporal ID with the first status for the first functionality.

9. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the status polling engine is further configured to associate a second temporal ID with the second status for the second functionality.

10. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 further comprising at least a third subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the third subsystem segment.

11. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the segmented subsystem is a segmented instrument subsystem.

12. The segmented subsystem of claim 11 wherein the segmented instrument subsystem includes instrument hardware configured to interface with one or more devices under test.

13. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the segmented subsystem is a segmented digital signal processing subsystem.

14. The segmented subsystem of claim 1 wherein the segmented subsystem includes a PCIe interface configured to couple the segmented subsystem with a PCIe-based event fabric.

15. A segmented subsystem, for use within an automated test platform, comprising:

a first subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the first subsystem segment; and

a second subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the second subsystem segment;

wherein the first subsystem segment includes;

a first functionality including a first status register associated with the first functionality,

a second functionality including a second status register associated with the second functionality, and

a status polling engine,

wherein the status polling engine is configured to;

read the first status register associated with the first functionality to determine a first status for the first functionality,

read the second status register associated with the second functionality to determine a second status for the second functionality, and

generate a consolidated status indicator for the first subsystem segment based, at least in part, upon the first status for the first functionality and the second status for the second functionality.

16. The segmented subsystem of claim 15 wherein the first subsystem segment further includes:

a status mirroring engine configured to provide the consolidated status indicator to a remote memory system.

17. The segmented subsystem of claim 16 wherein providing the consolidated status indicator to a remote memory system includes writing the consolidated status indicator to the remote memory system using a first DMA engine configured to allow the first subsystem segment to read data from and/or write data to the remote memory system.

18. A segmented subsystem, for use within an automated test platform, comprising:

a first subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the first subsystem segment; and

a second subsystem segment configured to execute one or more instructions within the second subsystem segment;

wherein the first subsystem segment includes;

a first functionality,

a second functionality,

a status polling engine, and

a status mirroring engine,

wherein the status polling engine is configured to;

determine a first status for the first functionality and a second status for the second functionality,

associate a first temporal ID with the first status for the first functionality,

associate a second temporal ID with the second status for the second functionality, and

generate a consolidated status indicator for the first subsystem segment based, at least in part, upon the first status for the first functionality and the second status for the second functionality, and

wherein the status mirroring engine is configured to;

provide the consolidated status indicator to a remote memory system.

19. The segmented subsystem of claim 18 wherein the first functionality includes a first status register associated with the first functionality and the status polling engine is further configured to read the first status register to determine the first status for the first functionality.

20. The segmented subsystem of claim 18 wherein the second functionality includes a second status register associated with the second functionality and the status polling engine is further configured to read the second status register to determine the second status for the second functionality.