Eye opening hardware offloading
AssigneeSK hynix Inc.
InventorsJinliang Mao, Chee Hoe Chu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for determining an eye mask of a device under test (DUT) which is configured to receive a data bit stream signal including a threshold level value and output a data bit stream output signal. The apparatus includes an input unit configured to receive the data bit stream output signal provided by the DUT, an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the received data bit output signal and provide an evaluation result, and a controller configured to change the threshold level value in response to the evaluation result. The apparatus is integrated into the DUT and can operates autonomously without multiple interactions with a tester.
Claims18
An apparatus for determining an eye mask of a device under test (DUT) configured to receive a data bit stream including a threshold value, comprising:
- an input coupled to the DUT and configured to receive an output signal provided by the DUT;
- a level and time evaluation unit coupled to the input and configured to evaluate the received output signal and provide an evaluation result;
- a processor-implemented controller configured to change the threshold value in response to the evaluation result;
- and
- a level threshold setting unit configured to provide the threshold value that is adjustable between a predetermined low threshold value and a predetermined high threshold value in fixed voltage increments or decrements,
- wherein the apparatus is integrated into the DUT.
An apparatus for determining an eye mask of a device under test (DUT) configured to receive a data bit stream signal and output an output stream signal, the apparatus comprising:
- an input coupled to the DUT and configured to receive the output stream signal provided by the DUT;
- a level threshold setting unit configured to provide a level threshold value to the data bit stream signal;
- a time threshold setting unit configured to provide a time threshold value to the data bit stream signal;
- a level evaluation unit configured to evaluate the output stream signal and output a first evaluation result;
- a time evaluation unit configured to evaluate the output stream signal and output a second evaluation result;
- a processor-implemented controller configured to adjust the level threshold value and the time threshold value in response to the first evaluation result and the second evaluation result.
A method for determining an eye mask of a device under test (DUT) that is configured to receive a data stream input signal having an added threshold signal level and output a data stream output signal, the method comprising following steps:
- receiving the data stream output signal;
- evaluating the received data stream output signal to provide an evaluation result;
- iteratively adjusting the threshold signal level in response to the evaluation result by a level and time evaluation unit until the evaluation indicates an error condition,
- wherein the threshold signal level is provided by a thermal noise generation element coupled to a variable gain amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.