Testing memory modules with a PC motherboard attached to a memory-module handler by a solder-side adaptor board

• US 6,178,526 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kingston Technology Company (Kingston Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kingston Technology Company (Kingston Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Le, Ngoc, Nguyen, Thang, Chou, Benjamin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dieu-Minh T.
• Application Number:
  US09/056,973
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 714/42, 714/29, 714/54, 714/718, 714/30, 714/767, 711/115, 711/170, 711/173, 710/102, 710/103
• US Class Current: 714/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/01 Subjecting similar articles in turn to test, e.g. "go/no-go" tests in mass production; Testing objects at points as they pass through a testing station testing of cables continuously passing the testing apparatus G01R31/59; testing dielectric strength or breakdown voltage G01R31/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31713 Input or output interfaces for test, e.g. test pins, buffers for scan test G01R31/318572
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31905 Interface with the device under test [DUT], e.g. arrangements between the test head and the DUT, mechanical aspects, fixture
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/5004 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/028 with adaption or trimming of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/56 External testing equipment for static stores, e.g. automatic test equipment [ATE]; Interfaces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/56016 Apparatus features
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/04 Supports for storage elements , e.g. memory modules; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence

Abstract

Memory modules such as SIMMs and DIMMs are automatically tested by a target-system motherboard such as a PC motherboard. An automated SIMM/DIMM handler is connected to a handler adaptor board that is mounted to the back or solder-side of the PC motherboard. The relatively flat surface of the solder-side of the PC motherboard allows close mounting of the handler. One or more of the SIMM sockets on the motherboard is removed to provide mounting holes for the handler adaptor board. The handler adaptor board provides electrical connection from the module-under-test (MUT) in the handler to the removed SIMM socket on the PC motherboard. The handler adaptor board provides a slight spacing or offset from the solder-side surface of the PC motherboard'"'"'s substrate, allowing the handler to be plugged directly into tester-connectors on the handler adaptor board. Since the offset of the adaptor board is slight, the length of electrical connections to the handler is short, minimizing the load on the PC'"'"'s memory bus. A handler controller card that controls the handler is plugged into the PCI or ISA bus on the PC motherboard. Power to the handler adaptor board is cut when a new module is moved into position in the handler, reducing memory-bus upset.

Claims

1. An automated test apparatus for testing high-speed memory modules using a memory-module handler, the automated test apparatus comprising:

a target-system motherboard having components including a microprocessor, memory, and expansion-bus connectors mounted on a component-side of the target-system motherboard, the memory including memory modules inserted into memory-module sockets mounted on the component-side;

a handler adaptor board having adaptor pins protruding out a first side and having connector sockets mounted on a second side opposite the first side,

wherein at least one of the memory-module sockets has been removed;

wherein the adaptor pins connect to the target-system motherboard on a solder-side of the target-system motherboard immediately opposite a location where the at least one memory-module sockets have been removed; and

wherein the connector sockets on the handler adaptor board are for connecting to the memory-module handler, for connecting signals from a memory module under test in the memory-module handler to a memory bus on the target-system motherboard,

whereby the memory module under test in the memory-module handler is electrically connected to the target-system motherboard.

2. The automated test apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a handler controller card, inserted into one of the expansion-bus connectors, the handler controller card for communicating with the memory-module handler when the memory-module under test in the memory-module handler is being tested by the target-system motherboard,

whereby the memory-module handler is controlled by the target-system motherboard.

3. The automated test apparatus of claim 2 wherein the handler controller card further comprises:

power control means, coupled to the handler adaptor board thorough a power cable, for disconnecting power to the memory-module under test when the memory-module handler is moving another memory module to a test position,

whereby power to the memory-module under test is disconnected when testing of the memory-module under test is completed.

4. The automated test apparatus of claim 3 wherein the handler controller card further comprises:

sorting means, coupled to the memory-module handler through a handler cable, for sending a sort signal to the memory-module handler at a completion of testing of the memory-module under test, the sort signal for instructing the memory-module handler to sort the memory-module under test into either a good bin or functional memory modules or into a bad bin of faulty memory modules.

5. The automated test apparatus of claim 4 wherein the handler cable further includes a ready signal from the memory-module handler, the ready signal indicating when the memory-module handler has moved a new memory-module to a test position.

6. The automated test apparatus of claim 4 wherein the handler controller card further comprises:

flash memory means for storing a test program, the test program for testing the memory-module under test in the memory-module handler, the test program executed by the microprocessor on the target-system motherboard.

7. The automated test apparatus of claim 6 wherein the handler controller card further comprises:

microcontroller means, coupled to the flash memory means, for executing a portion of the test program.

8. The automated test apparatus of claim 7 wherein the handler controller card further comprises:

watchdog timer means, coupled to the microcontroller means, for generating a timeout signal when the target-system motherboard has stopped responding;

reset means, in the microcontroller means for generating a system reset to the target-system motherboard in response to the timeout signal,

wherein the handler controller card resets the target-system motherboard when it crashes.

9. The automated test apparatus of claim 8 wherein the handler adaptor board connects all signals from the memory-module under test to the target-system motherboard except for power signals, wherein power signals to the memory-module under test are supplied from the handler controller card through the power cable.

10. The automated test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory-module sockets include mounting pins, the mounting pins fitting through holes in the target-system motherboard, the memory-module sockets mechanically and electrically connected to the target-system motherboard by solder on the mounting pins and holes on the solder-side, and

wherein the adaptor pins fit through the holes for the at least one memory-module socket that was removed, the adaptor pins soldered to the solder-side of the target-system motherboard.

11. The automated test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory-module sockets include mounting pins, the mounting pins fitting through holes in the target-system motherboard, the memory-module sockets mechanically and electrically connected to the target-system motherboard by solder on the mounting pins and holes on the solder-side;

and further comprising;

female pins on the target-system motherboard, the female pins mounted through the holes for the at least one memory-module socket that was removed, the female pins soldered to the solder-side of the target-system motherboard,

wherein the adaptor pins fit into the female pins when the handler adaptor board is connected to the target-system motherboard.

12. The automated test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the target-system motherboard is a personal computer PC motherboard and wherein the expansion-bus connectors are either ISA-bus connectors or PCI-bus connectors.

13. The automated test apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory modules are single-inline memory module SIMMs or dual-inline memory module DIMMs or RAMBUS modules.

14. A method for testing memory modules comprising the steps of:

connecting a handler adaptor board to a motherboard by removing a memory-module socket from the motherboard and inserting adaptor pins on the handler adaptor board into holes in the motherboard exposed by removal of the memory-module socket;

connecting a memory-module handler to the handler adaptor board;

loading the memory-module handler with an input stack of memory modules to be tested;

activating a test program and executing the test program on a microprocessor on the motherboard;

waiting for a ready signal from the memory-module handler when a memory module from the input stack is moved into a test position and electrically connected to the handler adaptor board;

activating power to the handler adaptor board and to the memory module in the test position in the memory-module handler when the ready signal is received;

writing and reading test vectors from the microprocessor through the handler adaptor board to memory locations in the memory module under test;

determining when all of the memory locations are functional;

disconnecting power to the handler adaptor board and to the memory module in the test position once all test vectors have been written and read;

sending a sort signal to the memory-module handler;

in response to the sort signal, the memory-module handler sorting the memory module in the test position to a good bin when all of the memory locations were determined to be functional but sorting the memory module in the test position to a bad bin when not all of the memory locations were determined to be functional; and

the memory-module handler moving a next memory module from the input stack to the test position and generating the ready signal,

whereby memory modules are tested automatically by the motherboard using the memory-module handler to connect new memory modules to the motherboard.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

generating a reset signal to the microprocessor when the ready signal is received from the memory-module handler; and

rebooting the motherboard using memory on the motherboard as base memory for rebooting the motherboard;

whereby the motherboard is rebooted for each new memory module tested.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the handler adaptor board is located on an opposite side of the motherboard from the memory-module socket that was removed.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the memory-module handler is directly connected to the handler adaptor board by plugging connectors together without using a flexible cable.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

sending results of testing the memory module to a central server using a local-area-network card installed in an expansion-bus socket on the motherboard.

19. A memory-module tester comprising:

a memory-module handler, having a input stack of untested memory modules, a test position for a memory module under test, a good bin containing tested functional memory modules and a bad bin containing tested non-functional memory modules, the memory-module handler having contactors that make contact with electrical pads on the memory module under test and a connector that is electrically connected with the contactors;

a motherboard having a microprocessor, expansion-bus sockets, and memory-module sockets mounted on a component side, the motherboard having holes for a missing memory-module socket, the holes between the component side and a solder side opposite the component side;

a handler adaptor board having adaptor pins on one side and a handler connector on an opposite side, the handler adaptor board electrically connecting adaptor pins to the handler connector;

wherein the adaptor pins connect the handler adaptor board to the motherboard using the holes for the missing memory-module socket;

wherein the handler connector connects the handler adaptor board to the connector on the memory-module handler; and

a test program executing on the microprocessor on the motherboard, the test program for writing and reading back test patterns to the memory module under test in the memory-module handler, the test program instructing the memory-module handler to drop the memory-module under test into either the good bin or the bad bin and to move a next memory module from the input stack to the test position,

whereby memory modules are automatically tested by the motherboard using the memory-module handler to move memory modules into the test position.

20. The memory-module tester of claim 19 further comprising:

a handler controller card inserted into one of the expansion-bus sockets on the motherboard, the handler controller card coupled to the memory-module handler by a handler cable.