Transmission line pulsing

• US 9,829,526 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Farbiz, Farzan, Salman, Akram A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baxter, Brian K
• Application Number:
  US13/667,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 307112, 307113
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/001 Measuring interference from external sources to, or emission from, the device under test, e.g. EMC, EMI, EMP or ESD testing measuring electromagnetic fields G01R29/08; circuits for generating HV pulses in dielectric strength testing G01R31/14
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/30 Automatic matching of source impedance to load impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

A circuit and method for electrostatic discharge testing using transmission line pulsing. A plurality of transmission line networks may be connected to a device under test, and each transmission line network may have different connected terminations. Switches may be used to select which transmission line networks are connected to the device under test, and which terminations, if any, are connected to transmission line networks.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a power supply;

a plurality of transmission lines with at least one transmission line from the plurality of transmission lines is a different length than the others in the plurality of transmission lines;

a first switch coupled to first ends of the plurality of transmission lines, where when the first switch is in a first switch state the first ends of the plurality of transmission lines are connected to the power supply and when the first switch is in a second switch state the first ends of the plurality of transmission networks are coupled to a node for connection to a device under test; and

a plurality of second switches configured to couple first ends of a portion of the transmission lines to the first switch.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of third switches configured to couple second ends of the transmission lines to terminations.

3. A system, comprising:

a power supply;

a plurality of transmission line networks with at least one transmission line network from the plurality of transmission line networks is a different type than the others in the plurality of transmission line networks;

a first switch coupled to first ends of the plurality of transmission line networks, where when the first switch is in a first switch state the first ends of the plurality of transmission line networks are connected to the power supply and when the first switch is in a second switch state the first ends of the plurality of transmission networks are coupled to node for connection to a device under test; and

a plurality of second switches configured to couple first ends of a portion of the transmission line networks to the first switch.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of third switches configured to couple second ends of the transmission line networks to terminations.

5. The system of claim 4, where the second ends of the transmission line networks are coupled to separate terminations.

6. The system of claim 4, where second ends of at least one transmission line network are coupled to a plurality of terminations.

7. The system of claim 4, where at least one termination comprises a voltage clamp.

8. The system of claim 4, where at least one termination comprises a Zener diode.

9. The system of claim 4, where at least one termination comprises a non-linear resistance.

10. The system of claim 4, where at least one termination comprises an active device.

11. The system of claim 3, further comprising an impedance network between the first switch and the device under test.

12. The system of claim 3, where at least one transmission line network is an individual transmission line.

13. The system of claim 3, where at least one transmission line network comprises a plurality of interconnected transmission lines.

14. The system of claim 3, where at least one transmission line network comprises a transmission line having a power supply connected to its outer conductor.

15. The system of claim 3, where at least one transmission line network comprises two transmission lines with a resistance in series between them.

16. The system of claim 3, where at least a first transmission line has a different characteristic impedance than a second transmission line.