Method and apparatus for low latency communication in an automatic testing system

A system for processing flags that indicate a state of a device under test, the flags being processed in a plurality of successive cycles, the system comprising:

• a plurality of pattern generators, each pattern generator configured to receive a signal from a device under test and to output a flag indicating a state of the device under test based on the received signal, the plurality of pattern generators configured to operate synchronously;
• a first plurality of buffers, each buffer associated with a respective pattern generator and configured to store a flag output by the respective pattern generator;
• a communication path configured to receive the plurality of flags from the buffers and to perform aggregation of the flags, thereby generating an aggregated indication;
• and
• one or more circuits, the one or more circuits configured to operate synchronously and to receive the aggregated indication,
• wherein buffers of the first plurality of buffers are configured to store flags from respective pattern generators for different times.