METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING ESD EVENTS IN CABLED DEVICES

• US 20150154993A1
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gentrup, Myron H., Iben, Icko E.T., Kinnear, John T. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,249,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0814 Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001, e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0835 Testing shielding, e.g. for efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/001 Measuring interference from external sources to, or emission from, the device under test, e.g. EMC, EMI, EMP or ESD testing measuring electromagnetic fields G01R29/08; circuits for generating HV pulses in dielectric strength testing G01R31/14
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3166 Testing or indicating in relation thereto, e.g. before the fabrication is completed
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/455 Arrangements for functional testing of heads; Measuring arrangements for heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/6094 Preventing or discharging electrostatic charge build-up on the flying head
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/60 Protection against electrostatic charges or discharges, e.g. Faraday shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/801 Constructional details of multistable switching devices

Abstract

An audit device according to one embodiment includes a substrate; at least one test element coupled to the substrate; a connector adapted for coupling the at least one test element to leads of a cable; and a probe for detecting at least one of: voltage across and current through the at least one test element. One test element is coupled to a group of leads of the connector. All positive polarity leads of the group of leads are coupled together on the substrate, and all negative polarity leads of the group of leads are coupled together on the substrate, such that the test element is coupled across the positive and the negative coupled leads of the group of leads of the connector. The test element is coupled across pairs of leads of the cable when the cable is coupled to the connector. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Claims

1. An audit device, comprising:

a substrate;

at least one test element coupled to the substrate;

a connector adapted for coupling the at least one test element to leads of a cable; and

a probe for detecting at least one of;

voltage across and current through the at least one test element,

wherein one test element is coupled to a group of leads of the connector,

wherein all positive polarity leads of the group of leads are coupled together on the substrate, and

wherein all negative polarity leads of the group of leads are coupled together on the substrate,

such that the test element is coupled across the positive and the negative coupled leads of the group of leads of the connector, and

wherein the test element is coupled across pairs of leads of the cable when the cable is coupled to the connector.

2. An audit device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor or an oscilloscope coupled to the probe for collecting data from the probe.

3. An audit device as recited in claim 2, wherein the data collected from the probe includes at least one of:

current or voltage signal pulse waveform during a time period, signal magnitude, signal pulse width, signal polarity, and frequency of events.

4. An audit device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one test element is a resistor or a resistance-inductance-capacitance (RLC) circuit having an equivalent circuit value to a device under test.

5. An audit device as recited in claim 4, wherein the equivalent circuit value is selected from a group consisting of:

inductance, capacitance, resistance, and impedance.

6. An audit device as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least one test element is tunable such that the at least one test element is capable of matching the equivalent circuit value in a predetermined frequency range.

7. An audit device as recited in claim 6, wherein the frequency range is determined based on a frequency range where electrostatic discharge (ESD) events or electrostatic overstress (EOS) events or cable discharge events (CDEs) are anticipated to occur.

8. An audit device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one test element is a device under test.

9. An audit device as recited in claim 1, wherein the substrate is coupled to the cable.

10. An audit device as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of test elements are used, and wherein each of the plurality of test elements is coupled to a unique pair of leads of the connector.

11. An audit device, comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB);

at least one test element coupled to the PCB, wherein the at least one test element is a resistor or a resistance-inductance-capacitance (RLC) circuit having an equivalent circuit value to a device that is normally connected to a cable and for which electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrostatic overstress (EOS), and/or cable discharge event (CDE) characteristics are desired to be determined, and wherein the equivalent circuit value is selected from a group consisting of;

inductance, capacitance, resistance, and impedance;

a connector adapted for coupling the at least one test element to leads of the cable;

a probe for detecting at least one of;

voltage across or current through the at least one test element; and

a microprocessor or an oscilloscope coupled to the probe for collecting data from the probe,

wherein the data collected from the probe includes at least one of;

signal pulse waveform during a time period, signal magnitude, signal pulse width, polarity, and frequency of events,

wherein one test element is coupled to a group of leads of the connector, wherein all positive polarity leads of the group of leads are coupled together on the PCB, and

wherein all negative polarity leads of the group of leads are coupled together on the PCB, such that the at least one test element is coupled across the positive and the negative coupled leads of the group of leads of the connector, and

wherein the at least one test element is coupled across pairs of leads of the cable when the cable is coupled to the connector.

12. An audit device as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one test element is tunable such that the at least one test element is capable of matching the equivalent circuit value in a predetermined frequency range.

13. An audit device as recited in claim 12, wherein the frequency range is determined based on a frequency range where ESD, EOS and CD events are anticipated to occur.

14. An audit device as recited in claim 11, wherein a plurality of test elements are used, and wherein each of the plurality of test elements is coupled to a unique pair of leads of the connector.

15. A method, comprising:

coupling an audit device to a cable, wherein the audit device includes a test element that is coupled to a first signal line and a second signal line or a ground; and

measuring a circuit value through the test element using a probe adapted for detecting at least one of;

voltage across or current through the test element,

wherein the cable is a flexible cable for use with at least one magnetic sensor used in a magnetic data storage drive for reading magnetic data written onto a magnetic medium.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the test element is a device under test (DUT), and further comprising performing electrostatic discharge (ESD) immunity testing on the test element.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising collecting data from the probe, the data being chosen from a group consisting of:

signal pulse waveform during a time period, signal magnitude, signal pulse width, polarity, and frequency of events.