Methods and devices for testing a device under test using test site specific thermal control signaling
AssigneeAdvantest Corporation
InventorsMatthias Werner, Martin Fischer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide an automated test equipment (a “tester”) for testing a device under test, including a bidirectional dedicated real-time handler interface. Some embodiments include an interface having a trigger function, a fixed endpoint interface, an interface arranged on a test head, and/or a number of lines/communication channels adapted to a specific communication task, without separate signal lines, for example. The bidirectional dedicated real-time handler interface can be used to transmit thermal control signals, and the transmitted signals can be test site specific. The real-time signaling advantageously improves testing accuracy and efficiency.
Claims18
An automated test equipment (ATE) system for testing a device under test (DUT), the ATE system comprising:
- a handler coupled to a plurality of test sites by a real-time handler interface, wherein the plurality of test sites are operable to test DUTs;
- and
- the real-time handler interface,
- wherein the real-time handler interface is operable to:
- provide a trigger signal to the handler coupled to the real-time handler interface, wherein the trigger signal is operable to trigger and control a temperature control function of the handler, and wherein the trigger signal comprises delay information for different test sites pertaining to delays between a beginning of thermal preconditioning operations performed for the different test sites responsive to the trigger signal.
A handler for testing a device under test (DUT), the handler comprising:
- a circuit;
- and
- a real-time interface coupled to a plurality of test sites, wherein the plurality of test sites are operable to test DUTs, and
- wherein the circuit is operable to:
- receive a trigger signal from an automated test equipment (ATE) coupled to the real-time interface, wherein the trigger signal is operable to trigger and control a temperature control function during DUT testing, wherein the trigger signal comprises delay information for different test sites pertaining to delays between a beginning of thermal preconditioning operations performed for the different test sites responsive to the trigger signal;
- and
- control a temperature control function of a particular test site of the plurality of test sites in response to the trigger signal.
A method of testing a device under test (DUT), the method comprising:
- providing a trigger signal to a handler coupled to a plurality of DUTs via a real-time handler interface, wherein the trigger signal is operable to trigger and control a temperature control function of the handler, wherein the trigger signal comprises delay information for different test sites pertaining to delays between a beginning of thermal preconditioning operations performed for the different test sites responsive to the trigger signal;
- and
- controlling a temperature control function of the handler to test a particular DUT of the plurality of DUTs based on the trigger signal.
A method of testing a device under test (DUT) coupled to a handler, the method comprising:
- receiving, at the handler, a trigger signal from an automated test equipment (ATE) via a real-time handler interface, wherein the handler is coupled to a plurality of test sites via the real-time handler interface, wherein the plurality of test sites are operable to test DUTs, wherein the wherein the trigger signal is operable to trigger and control a temperature control function of the handler, and wherein the trigger signal comprises delay information for different test sites pertaining to delays between a beginning of thermal preconditioning operations performed for the different test sites responsive to the trigger signal;
- and
- controlling a temperature control function of the handler in response to the trigger signal to test a particular DUT coupled to the handler.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.