# US 10,502,783 B2 · Blade centric automatic test equipment system

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- Number: US 10,502,783 B2
- Document ID: US10502783B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/880,546
- Filed: 2018-01-26
- Published: 2018-07-05
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-16
- Assignees: Golden Oak Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Richard Carmichael; Edward Peek; James St. Jean; David Reynolds; Michael Ferland
- Inventors: Richard Carmichael; Edward Peek; James St. Jean; David Reynolds; Michael Ferland
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502783B2

## CPC

- G01R 31/318307: {computer-aided, e.g. automatic test program generator [ATPG], program translations, test program debugging}
- G06F 11/261: {by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation}
- G06F 11/2635: {using a storage for the test inputs, e.g. test ROM, script files}
- G06F 11/2733: {Test interface between tester and unit under test}
- G06F 13/1689: {Synchronisation and timing concerns (synchronisation on a memory bus G06F13/4234)}
- G06F 13/36: for access to common bus or bus system
- G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling}
- G06F 13/4072: {Drivers or receivers (G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002)}
- G06F 13/4282: {on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247)}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

An automated test equipment (ATE) system includes a plurality of test blades each coupled to a test blade connector and mounted on a circular track; a central reference clock (CRC) having an origin point at a center of the circle; and a clock/sync connector coupled to the CRC through a zero skew clock connection to one or more sync buses, wherein each instrument utilizes the CRC to coordinate its testing process with another instrument.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automated test equipment (ATE) system, comprising:
a plurality of test blades each coupled to a test blade connector and mounted on a circular track;
a central reference clock (CRC) having an origin point at a center of the circular track; and
a connector coupled to the CRC through a zero skew clock connection to one or more sync buses, wherein each blade instrument comprises one or more power converters mounted thereon.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising a host computer coupled to the test blades.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising an adaptive semaphore signal transmission between a host computer and the test system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising a Self Addressing Circular FIFO (SACF) to receive data from a host computer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the SACF is located on a Host Interface Board.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the SACF stores several data transactions before slowing down data transfers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein after emptying the FIFO, the host computer requests more data transfers and time for interactive transfers is dependent on blade requirements.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the CRC starts each test sequence and provides a single frequency reference.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one blade uses the CRC as a master clock or augments the CRC with one or more on-blade enhanced clocks that allow different blades to run at different frequencies.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each blade runs in its own time-space.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one or more test sequences are created and wherein different device under test (DUT) ports are tested with one or more unique timing references.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each blade is electrically isolated from others, and wherein each blade communicates with another blade during testing by synchronization.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the sync buses comprise multi-level sync buses that allow the blades to signal each other to coordinate their testing sequences.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising generating one or more sync events for combining error lines or to lock two blades together in time.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising a central power supply positioned at the center.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each test blade is coupled to the central power supply, comprising one or more local power generators on each test blade to generate local power.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising an enclosure housing the test blade having one or more fans.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising both central and distributed clocks.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each clock is buffered and distributed to test blades with matched transmission lines on a Master Clock board and a Backplane.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, comprising a host computer that sends data faster than data distribution through serial protocols.