# US 7,610,538 B2 · Test apparatus and performance board for diagnosis > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,538 B2 - Document ID: US7610538B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/734,792 - Filed: 2007-04-13 - Published: 2008-10-16 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2007-04-13 - Assignees: Advantest Corporation - Inventors: Satoshi Iwamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610538B2 ## CPC - G06F 11/273: Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits {(G06F11/263 takes precedence)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A test apparatus being capable of replacing a test module with the other kind of test module that tests device under tests by using the test module is provided. The test apparatus includes a plurality of test modules that transmit/receive signals to/from the device under tests to test the device under test; and a performance board for diagnosis that diagnose the plurality of test modules. The performance board for diagnosis including: a motherboard provided common to the plurality of test, modules; a circuit for diagnosis that transmits/receives a signal to/from each test module to diagnose the test module; a plurality of inter-board to module connectors that connect between the corresponding test module and the circuit for diagnosis; and plurality of sub-boards each of which has at least one of the inter-board to module connectors and is fixed to the motherboard to fix the inter-board to module connectors to the motherboard. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A test apparatus, configured such that a test module is replaceable with another kind of test module, that tests a device under test using the test module, comprising: a plurality of test modules, including the test module and the another kind of test module, that transmit/receive signals to/from the device under test to test the device under test; and a performance board for diagnosis that diagnoses the plurality of test modules, the performance board for diagnosis including: a motherboard provided common to the plurality of test modules; a circuit for diagnosis that transmits/receives a signal to/from each of the plurality of test modules to diagnose the plurality of test modules; a plurality of inter-board to module connectors arranged corresponding to the plurality of test modules, each of which connects the corresponding test module to the circuit for diagnosis; and a plurality of sub-boards each of which includes thereon at least one of the plurality of inter-board to module connectors and is replaceably fixed to the motherboard to fix the at least one of the plurality of inter-board to module connectors to the motherboard, wherein each of the plurality of sub-boards has a fixing part which replaceably fixes each of the plurality of sub-boards to the motherboard, and wherein each fixing part has substantially the same structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the circuit for diagnosis is provided on the motherboard and diagnoses the plurality of test modules, respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the performance board for diagnosis has a plurality of connection parts that connect each of the plurality of sub-boards to the circuit for diagnosis, each of the plurality of connection parts having the same structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the the plurality of connection parts include: a plurality of sub-board side connectors each of which is provided for one of the plurality of sub-boards and connected to one of the plurality of inter-board to module connectors; and a plurality of motherboard side connectors arranged corresponding to the plurality of sub-boards one to one on the motherboard, each of which connects the sub-board side connector for which the corresponding sub-board is provided to the circuit for diagnosis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of inter-board to module connectors is designed so as to be electrically connectable to the corresponding test module, and each of the plurality of sub-board side connectors has the same structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of motherboard side connectors has the same structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the performance board for diagnosis includes a plurality of circuits for diagnosis, each of which is provided on one of the plurality of sub-boards and diagnoses the test module connected to the sub-board. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of circuits for diagnosis independently operates for the sub-board. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The test apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of sub-boards further includes an identification information storage section that previously stores identification information for identifying the at least one of the plurality of inter-board to module connectors and notifies the circuit for diagnosis of the identification information. ### Claim 10 In a test apparatus, configured such that test module is replaceable with another kind of test module, that tests a device under test by using the test module, a performance board for diagnosis that diagnoses a plurality of test modules including the test module and the another kind of test module, the performance board for diagnosis comprising: a motherboard provided common to the plurality of test modules; a circuit for diagnosis that transmits/receives a signal to/from each of the plurality of test modules to diagnose the plurality of test modules; a plurality of inter-board to module connectors arranged corresponding to the plurality of test modules, each of which connects the corresponding test module to the circuit for diagnosis; and a plurality of sub-boards each of which includes thereon at least one of the plurality of inter-board to module connectors and is replaceably fixed to the motherboard to fix the at least one of the plurality of inter-board to module connectors to the motherboard, wherein each of the plurality of sub-boards has a fixing part which replaceably fixes the each of the plurality of sub-boards to the motherboard, and wherein each fixing part has substantially the same structure.