Supporting calibration and diagnostics in an open architecture test system

• US 7,197,416 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advantest America R&D Center, Inc. (Advantest Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advantest America R&D Center, Inc. (Advantest Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Toshiaki, Pramanick, Ankan, Elston, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff; Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charioui; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/917,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20050261855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 702/80, 702/81, 702/85, 702/108, 702/117, 702/118, 702/119, 702/120, 702/121, 702/122, 702/123, 702/183, 702/184, 702/186, 702/188, 714/724, 714/734, 714/738, 714/746, 714/768, 324/73.1
• US Class Current: 702/119
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31907 Modular tester, e.g. controlling and coordinating instruments in a bus based architecture

Abstract

A method for integrating test modules in a modular test system includes creating component categories for integrating vendor-supplied test modules and creating a calibration and diagnostics (C&D) framework for establishing a standard interface between the vendor-supplied test modules and the modular test system, where the C&D framework comprises interface classes communicating vendor-supplied module integration information. The method further includes receiving a vendor-supplied test module, retrieving module integration information from the vendor-supplied test module in accordance with the component categories, and integrating the vendor-supplied test module into the modular test system based on the module integration information using the C&D framework.

Claims

1. A method for integrating test modules in a modular test system, comprising:

creating component categories for integrating vendor-supplied test modules;

creating a calibration and diagnostics (C&

D) framework for establishing a standard interface between the vendor-supplied test modules and the modular test system, wherein the C&

D framework comprises interface classes communicating vendor-supplied module integration information;

receiving a vendor-supplied test module;

retrieving module integration information from the vendor-supplied test module in accordance with the component categories; and

integrating the vendor-supplied test module into the modular test system based on the module integration information using the C&

D framework.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the module integration information in a test condition memory; and

performing calibration of the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information stored in the test condition memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein performing calibration comprises:

providing a runtime calibration interface; and

performing runtime calibration of the vendor-supplied test module based on the runtime calibration interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the runtime calibration interface comprises:

a system interface for communicating with the vendor-supplied test module via a site controller;

a calibration interface for communicating test class information with a user; and

a vendor interface for communicating vendor-supplied calibration information with a vendor.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein performing runtime calibration comprises:

obtaining hardware module status;

loading calibration data;

performing time domain reflection;

performing timing calibration data compensation; and

performing online timing calibration data compensation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the component categories comprise one or more elements selected from the group consisting of driver software, calibration software, and diagnostic software.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface classes comprise;

a module manager for obtaining module configuration data;

a vendor command information interface for obtaining a vendor calibration DLL and a vendor diagnostic DLL;

a site controller framework for interfacing with one or more site controllers; and

a system framework for interfacing with a system controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface classes are defined as C++ classes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the module integration information in a test condition memory; and

performing diagnostics on the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information stored in the test condition memory.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving comprises loading the module integration information dynamically during runtime.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving comprises loading the module integration information independently during runtime.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein integrating comprises calibrating the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein integrating comprises diagnosing the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information.

14. A modular test system, comprising:

a system controller;

at least one site controller coupled to the system controller;

at least one vendor-supplied test module and its corresponding device under test (DUT);

component categories for integrating vendor-supplied test modules;

a calibration and diagnostics (C&

D) framework for establishing a standard interface between the vendor-supplied test modules and the modular test system, wherein the C&

D framework comprises interface classes communicating vendor-supplied module integration information;

means for receiving a vendor-supplied test module;

means for retrieving module integration information from the vendor-supplied test module in accordance with the component categories; and

means for integrating the vendor-supplied test module into the modular test system based on the module integration information using the C&

D framework.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising;

a test condition memory for storing the module integration information; and

means for performing calibration of the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information stored in the test condition memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for performing calibration comprise:

a runtime calibration interface; and

means for performing runtime calibration of the vendor-supplied test module based on the runtime calibration interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the runtime calibration interface comprises:

a system interface for communicating with the vendor-supplied test module via a site controller;

a calibration interface for communicating test class information with a user; and

a vendor interface for communicating vendor-supplied calibration information with a vendor.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for performing runtime calibration comprise:

means for obtaining hardware module status;

means for loading calibration data;

means for performing time domain reflection;

means for performing timing calibration data compensation; and

means for performing online timing calibration data compensation.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the component categories comprise:

driver software;

calibration software; and

diagnostic software.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface classes comprise:

a module manager for obtaining module configuration data;

a vendor command information interface for obtaining a vendor calibration DLL and a vendor diagnostic DLL;

a site controller framework for interfacing with one or more site controllers; and

a system framework for interfacing with a system controller.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface classes are defined as C++ classes.

22. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a test condition memory for storing the module integration information; and

means for performing diagnostics on the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information stored in the test condition memory.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for retrieving comprise means for loading the module integration information dynamically during runtime.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for retrieving comprise means for loading the module integration information independently during runtime.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein means for integrating comprise means for calibrating the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein means for integrating comprise means for diagnosing the vendor-supplied test module based on the module integration information.