Method and apparatus for testing semiconductor devices using the back side of a circuit board

A method for testing a semiconductor device having n connector pins corresponding to n signals, the method comprising:

• coupling the semiconductor device to a back side of a circuit board comprising circuitry adapted to provide an actual operating environment for the semiconductor device,
• wherein the coupling of the semiconductor device to the back side of the circuit board comprises:
• coupling a front side of an interface board to the back side of the circuit board, and
• coupling the semiconductor device to a back side of the interface board,
• wherein the coupling of the front side of the interface board to the back side of the circuit board includes routing each of the n signals corresponding to the n connector pins through the interface board from a back side thereof to the front side thereof to produce electrical continuity in each of the n signals therethrough while reversing an existing arrangement of connector pins as between the front side of the circuit board and the back side of the interface board to which the semiconductor device is coupled in such a manner that the n connector pins of the device when mounted on the back side of the interface board correspond in positional configuration relative one another with the n connector pins of the device if mounted on the front side of the circuit board;
• and
• concurrently operating the circuitry on the circuit board and the semiconductor device mounted for testing on the back side of the interface board.

A method for testing a semiconductor device having n connector pins corresponding to n signals, the method comprising:

• providing a circuit board comprising operating circuitry adapted to provide an actual operating environment for the semiconductor device, the circuit board having a front side for normally mounting the semiconductor device in a defined front-side configuration of the n connector pins;
• providing an interface board comprising routing circuitry configured to route each of the n signals from a front side of the interface board to a back side thereof while preserving the defined front-side configuration of the n connector pins on the back side of the interface board, the interface board having mounted on the back side thereof a socket;
• coupling the front side of the interface board to the back side of the circuit board;
• inserting the semiconductor device into the socket on the back side of the interface board;
• and
• concurrently operating the circuitry on the circuit board and the semiconductor device within the socket.