TEST APPARATUS AND POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS

• US 20110128020A1
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Advantest Corporation
• Inventors: AMANUMA, Seiji
• Granted Patent: US 8,427,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/750.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2839 using signal generators, power supplies or circuit analysers G01R31/2879 takes precedence; multimeters G01R15/12, network analysers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2851 Testing of integrated circuits [IC] G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801

Abstract

Provided is a test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a plurality of capacitors that are each charged to a predetermined voltage; a switching section that switches which of the capacitors charged to a predetermined voltage supplies power to the device under test; and a judging section that judges acceptability of the device under test based on an operational result of the device under test. Also provided is a test apparatus that selects one of a plurality of capacitors and a corresponding one of a plurality of power supply units, according to content of a test performed after a test that uses another of the capacitors to supply power to the device under test.

Claims

1. A test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising:

a plurality of capacitors that are each charged to a predetermined voltage;

a switching section that switches which of the capacitors charged to a predetermined voltage supplies power to the device under test; and

a judging section that judges acceptability of the device under test based on an operational result of the device under test.

2. The test apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply section that charges the capacitors to the predetermined voltages.

3. The test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the power supply section charges at least one capacitor that is not supplying power to the device under test to a voltage corresponding to content of a test performed after a test using another of the capacitors that supplies power to the device under test.

4. The test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the power supply section includes a plurality of power supply units,

each power supply unit is provided to correspond to one of the capacitors and to charge the corresponding capacitor, and

the switching section selects one of the capacitors and a corresponding one of the power supply units, according to content of a test performed after a test that uses another of the capacitors to supply power to the device under test.

5. The test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when an amount of current needed to test the device under test is greater than a predetermined value, the switching section connects two or more of the capacitors to the device under test in parallel.

6. The test apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a monitoring section that monitors degradation amounts of the capacitors.

7. The test apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the monitoring section displays a warning when degradation information corresponding to the degradation amounts indicates a value in a predetermined range.

8. The test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

when the degradation information of one of the capacitors indicates a value within the predetermined range, the power supply section charges the capacitor whose degradation information indicates the value in the predetermined range to a voltage that is less than a voltage to which the capacitor was charged before the degradation information indicated the value in the predetermined range.

9. The test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the switching section stops the supply of power to the device under test from the capacitors according to operation of the device under test.

10. The test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the switching section connects two or more of the capacitors to the device under test in series.

11. A power supply apparatus that supplies power to a device under test, comprising:

a plurality of capacitors that are each charged to a predetermined voltage; and

a switching section that switches which of the capacitors charged to a predetermined voltage supplies power to the device under test, wherein

the power supply apparatus supplies the device under test with power charged in one or more of the capacitors that supplies power to the device under test.