Remote test facility with wireless interface to local facilities

• US 7,613,591 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Eldridge, Benjamin N., Khandros, Igor Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem; Michael P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KHUU, HIEN DIEU THI
• Application Number:
  US11/835,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702/119, 702/58, 702/108, 702/117, 702/118, 702/121, 702/122, 702/189, 324/763, 324/765, 324/73.1, 324/500, 324/522, 324/523, 700/110, 600/407
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31907 Modular tester, e.g. controlling and coordinating instruments in a bus based architecture

Abstract

A central test facility transmits wirelessly test data to a local test facility, which tests electronic devices using the test data. The local test facility transmits wirelessly response data generated by the electronic devices back to the central test facility, which analyzes the response data to determine which electronic devices passed the testing. The central test facility may provide the results of the testing to other entities, such as a design facility where the electronic devices were designed or a manufacturing facility where the electronic devices where manufactured. The central test facility may accept requests for test resources from any of a number of local test facilities, schedule test times corresponding to each test request, and at a scheduled test time, wirelessly transmits test data to a corresponding local test facility.

Claims

1. A system comprising

a central test facility comprising a wireless transceiver;

a plurality of local test facilities remotely located from the central test facility, each comprising a test subsystem and a wireless transceiver, the test subsystem being capable of holding and testing an electronic device;

wherein the central test facility is in wireless communication with the plurality of local test facilities via a wireless link and controls operation of the test subsystems using test data and response data exchanged between the central test facility and the plurality of local test facilities over the wireless link; and

wherein the central test facility comprises means for scheduling testing at the plurality of local test facilities based on requests for test time received from ones of the plurality of local test facilities.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the test subsystems comprises a prober.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the test subsystems comprises an integrated circuit tester.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the test subsystems comprises a burn in subsystem.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the test subsystem comprises:

means for processing test data received from the central test facility to test the electronic device; and

means for generating response data based on testing of the electronic device for transmission to the central test facility.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central test facility further comprises means for analyzing the response data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the local test facility further comprise means for analyzing data from an electronic device under test to generate the response data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the test data comprises test vectors.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the test data comprises test commands.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the central test facility comprises a tester and the local test facilities each comprises a prober.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a first local test facility comprises first testing equipment configured to test a first device type and a second local test facility comprises second testing equipment configured to test a second device type different from the first device type.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first testing equipment comprises a prober and the second testing equipment comprises a burn in facility.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first testing equipment comprises a die tester and the second testing equipment comprises a module tester.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a repeater as a part of the wireless link.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a satellite as a part of the wireless link.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless link is a long distance link.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless link is an optical link.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless link is a radio frequency link.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the central test facility and the local test facilities occupy different floor space.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the central test facility and the local test facilities are in different buildings.

21. A system comprising

a central test facility comprising a wireless transceiver;

a plurality of local test facilities remotely located from the central test facility, each comprising a test subsystem and a wireless transceiver, the test subsystem being capable of holding and testing an electronic device;

wherein the central test facility is in wireless communication with the plurality of local test facilities via a wireless link and controls operation of the test subsystems using test data and response data exchanged between the central test facility and the plurality of local test facilities over the wireless link; and

wherein the central test facility comprises;

a main controller;

a plurality of test controllers in communication with the main controller via a communications bus, each test controller capable of controlling testing at ones of the plurality of local test facilities; and

a storage unit in communications with the communications bus.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the storage unit comprises any of a semiconductor based storage, a magnetic based storage, an optical-based storage, or combinations thereof.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of test controllers corresponds to a different one of the plurality of local test facilities.