Method and apparatus for adaptively learning test error sources to reduce the total number of test measurements required in real-time
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDavid T. Crook, Steven K. List, Stephen P. Rozum, Eddie L. Williamson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system is presented for optimizing the number of required measurements to obtain in real-time by an automated tester that tests a device under test. During a test run, historical measurements are obtained and tracked. Each subsequent iteration the test attempts to re-measure the fewest number of measurements in real-time to obtain an accurate reflection of whether the device being tested passes or fails based on the real-time measurements and substituting historical measurements for those required measurements that were not taken in real-time.
Claims20
A method for adaptively learning a set of real-time measurements to obtain in real-time during execution of an automated test, said method comprising the steps of:
- measuring a current set of real-time measurements in real-time, said current set of real-time measurements comprising a subset of a full set of required measurements, each of said full set of required measurements being required to determine whether said test passed or failed;
- obtaining a current set of historical measurements, said current set of historical measurements comprising corresponding historical measurement values for each of said required measurements that are not included in said current set of real-time measurements;
- determining whether said test passed or failed based on said measured real-time measurements and said current set of historical measurements substituted for those required measurements that are not included in said current set of real-time measurements;
- if said test fails:
- choosing a current retry set of real-time measurements, said current retry set of real-time measurements comprising a subset of said required measurements different than said current set of real-time measurements;
- measuring said current retry set of real-time measurements in real-time
- obtaining a current retry set of historical measurements, said current retry set of historical measurements comprising corresponding historical measurement values for each of said required measurements that are not included in said current retry set of real-time measurements;
- and
- redetermining whether said test passed or failed based on said current retry set of real-time measurements and said current retry set of historical measurements.
A method for determining a reduced set of measurements to take in real-time when executing an automated test, said method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a current reduced set of real-time measurements, said current reduced set of real-time measurements comprising a subset of a full set of required measurements, each of said full set of required measurements being required to determine whether said test passed or failed;
- measuring said current reduced set of real-time measurements in real-time;
- obtaining a current set of historical measurements, said current set of historical measurements comprising corresponding historical measurement values for each of said required measurements that are not included in said current reduced set of real-time measurements;
- determining whether said test passed or failed based on said measured reduced set of real-time measurements and said current set of historical measurements substituted for those required measurements that are not included in said current reduced set of real-time measurements;
- if said test fails:
- choosing a different reduced set of real-time measurements, said different reduced set of real-time measurements comprising a subset of said required measurements different that said current reduced set of real-time measurements;
- substituting said current reduced set of real-time measurements with said different reduced set of real-time measurements;
- repeating said measuring step through said determining step;
- and if said test passes:
- using said current reduced set of real-time measurements as said reduced set of measurements to take in real-time when executing said automated test.
An automated testing system for testing a component under test, comprising:
- a test configuration circuit that connects to said component under test and obtains a current set of real-time measurements;
- and
- a results analyzer which calculates a component value for said component under test using said current set of real-time measurements and substituting historical values for any required measurements that are not included in said real-time time measurements, determines whether said component value is within a pre-determined test limits, and signals a retry if said calculated component value is not within said pre-determined test limits;
- a measurement combination processor which is responsive to said retry signal to select a current retry set of real-time measurements;
- wherein said test configuration circuit obtains said current retry set of real-time measurements from said component under test and said results analyzer calculates a component value for said component under test using said current retry set of real-time measurements and substituting historical values for any required measurements that are not included in said current retry set of real-time measurements, and determines whether said component value is within said pre-determined test limits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.