Interconnect substrate with circuits for field-programmability and testing of multichip modules and hybrid circuits

Structure comprising:

• an interconnect substrate;
• a plurality of component contacts situated over said interconnect substrate for receipt of electronic components, at least part of said component contacts comprising pads, each pad being appropriate for receipt of an electrical lead of an electronic component;
• a plurality of electrically conductive traces situated over said interconnect substrate, each trace being electrically connected to a corresponding one of said component contacts;
• at least one programmable integrated circuit connected to said interconnect substrate, said at least one integrated circuit comprising a plurality of separate conductive leads, each of at least two of said conductive leads being electrically connected to a corresponding one of said electrically conductive traces, said at least one integrated circuit also containing a plurality of electrically programmable elements for forming electrically conductive paths between selected ones of said conductive leads of said at least one programmable integrated circuit, said at least one programmable integrated circuit thereby being configurable by a user to interconnect selected ones of said electrically conductive traces to achieve a desired electrical function from the electronic components to be connected to said interconnect substrate.

Structure comprising:

• an interconnect substrate;
• a plurality of component contacts situated over said interconnect substrate for receipt of electronic components;
• a plurality of electrically conductive traces situated over said interconnect substrate, each trace being electrically connected to a corresponding one of said component contacts;
• and
• at least one programmable integrated circuit connected to said interconnect substrate, said at least one integrated circuit comprising a plurality of separate conductive leads, each of at least two of said conductive leads being electrically connected to a corresponding one of said electrically conductive traces, said at least one integrated circuit also containing a plurality of electrically programmable elements for forming electrically conductive paths between selected ones of said conductive leads of said at least one programmable integrated circuit, said at least one programmable integrated circuit thereby being configurable by a user to interconnect selected ones of said electrically conductive traces to achieve a desired electrical function from the electronic components to be connected to said interconnect substrate, said interconnect substrate comprising (a) a first portion containing electrically conductive traces for interconnecting electronic components provided thereon without the use of a programmable integrated circuit and (b) a second portion containing at least one programmable interconnect circuit for interconnecting electronic components provided on at least said second portion of said interconnect substrate.

A test chip for testing electronic components interconnected through selected ones of electrically conductive traces situated over an interconnect substrate, said test chip comprising:

• means for providing access by a user to IO leads of said test chip;
• first means for storing data input by a user through said IO leads into said test chip;
• means for sampling data provided by selected ones of said electronic components to determine the states of the selected electronic components;
• means for comparing said sampled data to said stored data to determine whether a match occurs between said sampled and stored data;
• second means for storing data available from the selected electronic components upon detection of a match between said sampled and stored data;
• and
• means for outputting the data stored in said second storing means.

Structure comprising:

• an interconnect substrate;
• electrically conductive traces situated over said substrate;
• electronic components interconnected through selected ones of said conductive traces;
• a test chip situated over said substrate for testing said electronic components, said test chip comprising:
• means for providing access by a user to IO leads of said test chip;
• first means for storing data input by a user through said IO leads into said test chip;
• means for sampling data provided by selected ones of said electronic components to determine the states of the selected electronic components;
• means for comparing said sampled data to said stored data to determine whether a match occurs between said sampled and stored data;
• second means for storing data available from the selected electronic components upon detection of a match between said sampled and stored data;
• and
• means for outputting the data stored in said second storing means.

A method of testing electronic components interconnected through selected ones of electrically conductive traces situated over an interconnect substrate, said method comprising:

• providing access by a user to IO leads of a test chip;
• storing data input by a user through said IO leads into said test chip;
• sampling data provided by selected ones of said selected electronic components to determine the states of the selected electronic components;
• comparing said sampled data to said stored data to determine whether a match occurs between said sampled and stored data;
• and
• storing and then outputting data available from the selected electronic components upon detection of a match between said sampled and stored data.