Acquiring Test Data From An Electronic Circuit

• US 20080315898A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gravrok, Roger J., Pease, David L., Cannon, Todd A., Schlichting, Ryan J., Csongradi, William J. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/24 Marginal checking or other specified testing methods not covered by G06F11/26, e.g. race tests

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for acquiring test data from an electronic circuit by mounting a probe adjacent to a capture point on an electronic circuit board, capturing by the probe an electronic signal of the electronic circuit, digitizing by the probe the captured signal, and transmitting by the probe the digitized signal from the probe through a data communications connection to a remote device. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit also includes storing by the probe the digitized signal in the probe. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit may include processing by the probe the digitized signal. Acquiring test data from an electronic circuit also may include synchronizing acquisition of test data by the probe with acquisition of test data by one or more other probes.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A system for acquiring test data from an electronic circuit, the system comprising a probe mounted adjacent to a capture point on the electronic circuit board, the electronic circuit board having an electronic circuit, the probe having a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

capturing by the probe an electronic signal of the electronic circuit;

digitizing by the probe the captured signal;

transmitting by the probe the digitized signal from the probe through a data communications connection to a remote device; and

synchronizing acquisition of test data by the probe with acquisition of test data by one or more other probes, including providing from the remote device through the data communications connection to such synchronized probes synchronization clock signal.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of storing by the probe the digitized signal in the probe.

9. The system of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions capable of processing by the probe the digitized signal.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the remote device comprises a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of:

receiving in the remote device through the data communications connection digitized signals captured and transmitted from two or more such synchronized probes;

synchronizing by the remote device the received signals for display; and

displaying by the remote device the synchronized signals.

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

13. A computer program product for acquiring test data from an electronic circuit, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable, signal bearing medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

capturing by a probe mounted adjacent to a capture point on an electronic circuit board, the electronic circuit board having an electronic circuit, an electronic signal of the electronic circuit;

digitizing by the probe the captured signal;

transmitting by the probe the digitized signal from the probe through a data communications connection to a remote device; and

synchronizing acquisition of test data by the probe with acquisition of test data by one or more other probes, including providing from the remote device through the data communications connection to such synchronized probes a synchronization clock signal.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a recordable medium.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a transmission medium.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of storing by the probe the digitized signal in the probe.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of processing by the probe the digitized signal.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

receiving in the remote device through the data communications connection digitized signals captured and transmitted from two or more such synchronized probes;

synchronizing by the remote device the received signals for display; and

displaying by the remote device the synchronized signals.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)