Protocol aware digital channel apparatus
AssigneeTeradyne, Inc.
InventorGeorge W. Conner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, provided is a protocol specific circuit for simulating a functional operational environment into which a device-under-test is placed for functional testing. The protocol specific circuit includes a protocol aware circuit constructed to receive a non-deterministic signal communicated by a device-under-test and to control a transfer of the test stimulus signal to the device-under-test in response to the a non-deterministic signal.
Claims27
A protocol specific circuit for simulating a functional operational environment into which a device-under-test is placed for functional testing, the device-under-test having multiple integrated circuit blocks in mutual asynchronous communication, the protocol specific circuit:
- being configured to receive at least one non-deterministic signal communicated by a device-under-test,
- comprising a protocol aware circuit configured to decode the at least one non-deterministic signal into at least two components selected from the list comprising a command component, an address component, and a data component, and, based on the at least two decoded components, to determine a structure and timing of test stimulus signals appropriate to the protocol of the non-deterministic signal, the protocol aware circuit configured to generate control signals to transfer the determined test stimulus signals to the device-under-test according to the determined timing, and
- being configured to control a transfer of at least one test stimulus signal from a test signal generator with the said structure and with said timing to the device-under-test.
A protocol specific circuit comprising a configurable protocol aware circuit capable of being preconfigured to communicate at least one test stimulus signal between a test signal generator and a specific device-under-test via pin electronics in response to a non-deterministic signal from the device-under-test, the protocol specific circuit being configured to control the test signal generator to generate the at least one test stimulus signal having a structure and timing determined from the non-deterministic signal received from a device-under-test by decoding the non-deterministic signal into at least two components selected from the list comprising a command component, an address component, and a data component, the protocol aware circuit also configured to generate control signals to transfer the determined test stimulus signals to the device-under-test according to the determined timing, and thereby to determine a structure and timing of test stimulus signal appropriate to the protocol of the non-deterministic signal.
Automated test equipment comprising:
- a plurality of protocol aware channels for testing a device-under-test, each of the plurality of protocol aware channels comprising a protocol specific circuit coupled between a test signal generator and a pin electronics circuit, the protocol specific circuit being constructed to be capable of being preconfigured to respond to the protocol specific device-under-test in response to a non-deterministic signal from the device-under-test,
- wherein:
- at least two of the plurality of protocol aware channels are configured to communicate with each other to decode protocol information from the device-under-test into at least two components selected from the list comprising a command component, an address component, and a data component, and
- at least one of the plurality of protocol aware channels is configured to generate control signals to transfer a determined test stimulus signal to the protocol specific device-under-test according to a determined timing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.