Method and system to evaluate operational characteristics of an electronic circuit

• US 7,698,669 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Chow, Daniel Tun Lai
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; Thuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan; Nghia M
• Application Number:
  US11/747,873
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 716 4- 6, 702124-126, 702 66- 68, 324/436, 324/76.11, 707/1, 707/102, 707/205, 369/30.18, 369/30.19, 369/30.21, 369/30.27
• US Class Current: 716/136
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31711 Evaluation methods, e.g. shmoo plots
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and a system to evaluate operational characteristics of an electronic circuit. The method includes generating a visual display, on a monitor, of an eye diagram viewer. The eye diagram viewer is used to establish a test parameter for the circuit. Accessed is data that includes a graphical file containing eye diagram information corresponding to the test parameter. A visually perceivable image of the eye diagram information is provided in response to the test parameter. Specifically, the eye diagram viewer is used to establish an eye diagram information identifier by displaying in a plurality of test condition selector screens one of a multiple condition values for the test condition parameters. The graphical file containing the eye diagram information corresponding to the eye diagram information identifier is obtained from the server and displayed.

Claims

1. A method to evaluate operational characteristics of an electronic circuit, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of graphical files on a database in a plurality of folders, each folder corresponding to a condition from a plurality of conditions used for setting a test parameter of the electronic circuit, each folder containing a subset of the plurality of graphical files, each graphical file including eye diagram information resulting from a test of the electronic circuit using the test parameter;

generating a visual display, on a monitor, of an eye diagram viewer which includes an eye diagram display region and a test parameter region the generating further including,

displaying in the test parameter region multiple data entry regions, each data entry region corresponding to a condition from the plurality of conditions, and

providing in each data entry region a plurality of different condition values associated with the corresponding condition;

selecting a folder based on the values for the conditions of the test parameter;

accessing, from the database, the graphical file in the selected folder, an identifier of the graphical file corresponding to said values for the conditions; and

changing the eye diagram display region to display an eye diagram of said eye diagram information in the accessed graphical file, wherein each operation of the method is executed by a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein selecting a folder further includes choosing one of the different condition values for each of the conditions.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein accessing further includes,

determining an identifier of the graphical file by choosing from the selected folder an identifier corresponding to the chosen condition values.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein accessing further includes providing said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of said graphical file.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein accessing further includes providing said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of a path on said database where said graphical file is stored.

6. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein accessing further includes providing said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of a path to a folder on said server where said graphical file is stored and a name of said graphical file.

7. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein accessing further includes transmitting said identifier to said server over a network.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein storing the plurality of graphical files further includes,

storing a first folder corresponding to a first condition inside a second folder corresponding to a second condition, wherein the graphical files in the first folder correspond to values associated with the first and second conditions.

9. A method to evaluate operational characteristics of an electronic circuit, said method comprising:

storing a plurality of graphical files on a server in a plurality of folders, each folder corresponding to a condition from a plurality of conditions, each folder containing a subset of the plurality of graphical files, each graphical file including eye diagram information resulting from a test of the electronic circuit;

generating a visual display, on a monitor, of an eye diagram viewer, said eye diagram viewer including an eye diagram display region a test parameter region which includes and a plurality of data entry regions each of which corresponding to a condition from a plurality of conditions and including a list of multiple condition values for a corresponding condition;

establishing, with said eye diagram viewer, a graphical file identifier based on chosen condition values in said plurality of data entry regions selected from one of said multiple condition values; and

changing the eye diagram display region to display an eye diagram of the eye diagram information from the graphical file with the established identifier, the graphical file being accessed from said server, wherein each operation of the method is executed by a processor.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 further including transmitting said identifier to said server over a network.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein establishing further includes providing said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of said graphical file.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein establishing further includes providing said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of a path on said server where said graphical file is stored.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein establishing further includes providing said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of a path to a folder on said server where said graphical file is stored and a name of said graphical file.

14. A system to evaluate operational characteristics of an electronic circuit, said system comprising:

a client processor;

a database, in data communication with said client processor, storing a plurality of graphical files in a plurality of folders, each folder corresponding to a condition from a plurality of conditions, each folder containing a subset of the plurality of graphical files, each graphical file including eye diagram information resulting from a test of the electronic circuit;

a display, in data communication with said client processor; and

a client memory, in data communication with said client processor and storing a computer program to be operated on by said client processor, said computer program including,

a first sub-routine to generate a visual display, on said display, of an eye diagram viewer, said eye diagram viewer including an eye diagram display region and a test parameter region which includes a plurality of data entry regions, each of which corresponding to a condition from a plurality of conditions and including a list of multiple condition values for the corresponding condition,

a second sub-routine to establish, with said eye diagram viewer, a graphical file identifier based upon chosen condition values in said plurality of data entry regions, and

a third sub-routine to change the eye diagram display region to display an eye diagram of the eye diagram information from the graphical file with the established identifier, the graphical file being accessed from said database.

15. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein said third-subroutine further includes computer-readable instructions to transmit said identifier to said database over a network.

16. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein said third-subroutine further includes computer-readable instructions to transmit said identifier to said server over the Internet using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) protocol.

17. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein said second sub-routine further includes computer-readable instructions to provide said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of said graphical file.

18. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein said second sub-subroutine further includes computer-readable instructions to provide said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of a path on said server where said graphical file is stored.

19. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein said second sub-routine further includes computer-readable instruction to provide said identifier with information consisting essentially of a name of a path to a folder on said server where said graphical file is stored and a name of said graphical file.