Temperature control of electronic devices using power following feedback

A method for controlling a temperature of a device during testing with a thermal controller and a heat exchanger, the method comprising:

• measuring an instantaneous power consumption of the device during testing, wherein measuring an instantaneous power consumption includes measuring the current provided to the device while the device is being tested and determining the temperature of the device based on the equation:
• the temperature of the device=Ktheta*Ped+Tfs,
• the temperature of the device=Ktheta*Ped+Tfs,
• wherein Ktheta is a constant derived from a thermal resistance between the device and the heat exchanger, Ped is the power usage of the device derived from the measured current, and Tfs is a temperature at the surface between the device and the heat exchanger;
• and
• controlling the heat exchanger with the thermal controller using the measured instantaneous power consumption by the device to regulate the temperature of the device during testing, wherein the heat exchanger is in conductive contact with the device.

A method for controlling a temperature of a device during testing with a thermal controller and a heat exchanger, the method comprising:

• receiving in real-time data corresponding to the power being supplied by the programmable power supply to the device under test, wherein the received real-time data includes a measurement of the current provided to the device while the device is being tested and a determination of the temperature of the device based on the equation:
• the temperature of the device=Ktheta*Ped+Tfs,
• wherein Ktheta is a constant derived from a thermal resistance between the device and the heat exchanger, Ped is the power usage of the device derived from the measured current, and Tfs is a temperature at the surface between the device and the heat exchanger;
• and
• controlling the heat exchanger with the thermal controller using the received real-time data to regulate the temperature of the device during testing, wherein the heat exchanger is in conductive contact with the device.

A system for controlling a temperature of a device under test, comprising:

• a measuring device for measuring an instantaneous power consumption by the device during testing;
• a heat exchanger in conductive contact with the device;
• and
• a thermal controller for controlling the heat exchanger by using the measured instantaneous power consumption by the device to regulate the temperature of the device during testing, wherein:
• the measuring device comprises:
• at least one current measuring device for monitoring the current supplied to the device by one or more power supplies;
• at least one voltage measuring device for monitoring the voltage supplied to the device by one or more power supplies;
• and
• a monitoring circuit, coupled to the at least one current measuring device and to the at least one voltage measuring device, for producing a power usage signal from the monitored current and voltage;
• and
• the thermal controller for determining a setting of the heat exchanger comprises a thermal control circuit which utilizes the following equation for estimating the temperature of the device:
• the temperature of the device=Ktheta*Ped+Tfs,
• wherein Ktheta is a constant derived from a thermal resistance between the device and the heat exchanger, Ped is the power usage of the device, and Tfs is a temperature at the surface between the device and the heat exchanger.

In a system in which an electronic device is supplied with a power supply signal and test stimuli signals, and the temperature of the electronic device is actively controlled by a temperature control apparatus, a method for maintaining the temperature of the device near a predetermined set-point temperature, comprising:

• determining changes in power dissipated by the electronic device while the device is being tested, wherein determining changes in power dissipated by the electronic device includes measuring the current provided to the device while the device is being tested, deriving the power usage of the device based on the measured current;
• and determining the temperature of the device based on the equation:
• the temperature of the device=Ktheta*Ped+Tfs,
• wherein Ktheta is a constant derived from a thermal resistance between the device and the heat exchanger, Ped is the power usage of the device derived from the measured current, and Tfs is a temperature at the surface between the device and the heat exchanger;
• and
• adding or removing heat from the device while the device is being tested in response to the changes in power dissipated by the electronic device to maintain the temperature of the device near the predetermined set-point temperature.

A system in which an electronic device is supplied with a power supply signal and test stimuli signals, and the temperature of the device is maintained near a predetermined set-point temperature during testing, comprising:

• a measuring device which determines changes in power dissipated by the electronic device while the device is being tested, wherein determining the changes in power includes measuring the current provided to the device while the device is being tested, deriving the power usage of the device based on the measured current, and determining the temperature of the device based on the equation:
• the temperature of the device=Ktheta*Ped+Tfs,
• wherein Ktheta is a constant derived from a thermal resistance between the device and the heat exchanger, Ped is the power usage of the device derived from the measured current, and Tfs is a temperature at the surface between the device and the heat exchanger;
• and
• a temperature control apparatus which adds or removes heat from the device while the device is being tested in response to the changes in power dissipated by the electronic device determined by the measuring device to maintain the temperature of the device near the predetermined set-point temperature.