Automated creation of specific test programs from complex test programs

• US 6,434,503 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polaris Innovations Limited (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Richmond LP (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Sommer, Michael Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, JOHN H
• Application Number:
  US09/476,449
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 702/117, 702/119, 702/121, 702/123, 702/FOR.170, 702/FOR.171, 714/718, 714/719, 714/720, 714/724, 714/38
• US Class Current: 702/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318307 computer-aided, e.g. automatic test program generator [ATPG], program translations, test program debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31908 Tester set-up, e.g. configuring the tester to the device under test [DUT], down loading test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software

Abstract

A method for providing specific test programs from a production test program for testing semiconductor devices, in accordance with the present invention, includes providing a semiconductor device to be tested by a tester and initiating a production test program. The production test program includes a plurality of program files and test code sequences. The production test program is held at a test which is to be extracted, and register information and settings are extracted from the tester for the test to be extracted. The register information and settings are stored in a storage file, and the storage file is assembled and translated to provide an executable test program for an extracted test for testing the semiconductor device or other semiconductor devices.

Claims

1. A method for providing specific test programs from a production test program for testing semiconductor devices comprising the steps of:

providing a semiconductor device to be tested by a tester;

initiating a production test program, the production test program including a plurality of program files and test code sequences;

holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted;

extracting register information and settings from the tester for the test to be extracted;

storing the register information and settings in a storage file; and

assembling and translating the storage file to provide an executable test program for an extracted test for testing the semiconductor device or other semiconductor devices.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of extracting register information and settings from the tester for the test to be extracted includes the step of extracting parameters of the production test program, test settings, format information, counts for counters of loops, other counters, address bits and compression parameters.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of storing the register information and settings in a storage file includes the step of storing the register information and settings in a storage file in binary or ASCII format.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted includes the step of manually holding the production test program by stopping the production test program by a user.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted includes the step of holding the production test program by stopping the production test program when a flag is encountered by the production test program.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of assembling and translating the storage file includes the step of identifying commands in the storage file and translating the commands to programming code.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the programming code includes C or C++ programming code.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of executing the executable program file to run the extracted test on the semiconductor device or other semiconductor devices.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of modifying the executable program file to run a modified version of the extracted test on the semiconductor chip.

10. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing specific test programs from a production test program for testing semiconductor devices, the method steps comprising:

initiating a production test program on a device under test, the production test program including a plurality of program files and test code sequences;

holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted;

extracting register information and settings from the tester for the test to be extracted;

storing the register information and settings in a storage file; and

assembling and translating the storage file to provide an executable test program for an extracted test for testing a semiconductor device or other semiconductor devices.

11. The program storage device as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of extracting register information and settings from the tester for the test to be extracted includes the step of extracting parameters of the production test program, test settings, format information, counts for counters of loops, other counters, address bits and compression parameters.

12. The program storage device as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of storing the register information and settings in a storage file includes the step of storing the register information and settings in a storage file in binary or ASCII format.

13. The program storage device as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted includes the step of manually holding the production test program by stopping the production test program by a user.

14. The program storage device as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted includes the step of holding the production test program by stopping the production test program when a flag is encountered by the production test program.

15. The program storage device as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of assembling and translating the storage file includes the step of identifying commands in the storage file and translating the commands to programming code.

16. The program storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the programming code includes C or C++ programming code.

17. The program storage device as recited in claim 10, further comprising the step of executing the executable program file to run the extracted test on the semiconductor device or other semiconductor devices.

18. The program storage device as recited in claim 10, further comprising the step of modifying the executable program file to run a modified version of the extracted test on the semiconductor chip.

19. A method for providing specific test programs from a production test program for testing semiconductor devices comprising the steps of:

providing a semiconductor device to be tested by a tester;

initiating a production test program, the production test program including a plurality of program files and test code sequences;

holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted;

extracting register information and settings from the tester for the test to be extracted;

storing the register information and settings in a storage file;

assembling and translating the storage file to provide an executable test program for an extracted test for testing the semiconductor device or other devices by identifying commands in the storage file and translating the commands to programming code; and

executing the executable program file to run the extracted test on the semiconductor device or other semiconductor devices.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the step of storing the register information and settings in a storage file includes the step of storing the register information and settings in a storage file in binary or ASCII format.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the step of holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted includes the step of manually holding the production test program by stopping the production test program by a user.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the step of holding the production test program at a test which is to be extracted includes the step of holding the production test program by stopping the production test program when a flag is encountered by the production test program.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising the step of modifying the executable program file to run a modified version of the extracted test on the semiconductor chip.