Abstract: A test system and test techniques for accurate high current parametric testing of semiconductor devices. In operation, the test system supplies a current to the semiconductor device and measures a voltage on the device. The testing system may use the measured voltage to compute an ON resistance for the high-current semiconductor device. In one technique, multiple force needles contact a pad in positions that provide equi-resistant paths to one or more sense needles contacting the same pad. In another technique, current flow through the force needles is regulated such that voltage at the pad of the device under test is representative of the ON resistance of the device and independent of contact resistance of the force needle. Another technique entails generating an alarm indication when the contact resistance of a force needle exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: An example test system has resources that are distributed for access by a device under test (DUT). The example test system includes a device interface board (DIB) having sites to connect to devices to test, and a tester having slots configured to hold test instruments. Each test instrument has resources that are distributed over a dimension of the DIB. The resources are distributed to enable the devices in the sites equal access to the resources.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting and identifying a cause of a hot-switching event in an automated test system. One or more antennae positioned near mechanical relays in the system may be used to sense electromagnetic radiation. The antennae may be configured to respond to electromagnetic radiation of the type generated during a hot-switching event. Signals measured by the antennae may be processed to determine whether the signals have characteristics of hot-switching events. Processing may entail generating a signal envelope and determining whether the envelope has characteristics indicative of a hot-switching event. When a hot-switching event is detected, information to correlate the event to other events in the test system may also be captured. That information may be time information, enabling program test-system program instructions executing at the time of the event to be identified, such that the test system may be reprogrammed to avoid hot-switching events.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting and identifying a cause of a hot-switching event in an automated test system. One or more antennae positioned near mechanical relays in the system may be used to sense electromagnetic radiation. The antennae may be configured to respond to electromagnetic radiation of the type generated during a hot-switching event. Signals measured by the antennae may be processed to determine whether the signals have characteristics of hot-switching events. Processing may entail generating a signal envelope and determining whether the envelope has characteristics indicative of a hot-switching event. When a hot-switching event is detected, information to correlate the event to other events in the test system may also be captured. That information may be time information, enabling program test-system program instructions executing at the time of the event to be identified, such that the test system may be reprogrammed to avoid hot-switching events.

Abstract: An example process includes: powering, via a power supply, an active-matrix display panel comprised of picture elements; and identifying, based on an output of the power supply, one or more picture elements in the active-matrix display panel that are potentially defective. The example process may also include identifying, among one or more of the picture elements that are potentially-defective, one or more picture elements that actually are defective.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are testing apparatus and methods to identify latent defects in IC devices based on capacitive coupling between bond wires. Bond wires may have latent defects that do not appear as hard shorts or hard opens at the time of testing, but may pose a high risk of developing into hard shorts or hard opens over time. A latent defect may form when two adjacent bond wires are disturbed to become close to each other. According to some embodiments, capacitive coupling between a pair of pins may be used to provide an indication of a near-short latent defect between bond wires connected to the pair of pins.

Abstract: An example process for aligning channels in automatic test equipment (ATE) includes programming a first delay associated with receiving first data over a channel so that timing of the channel is aligned to timings of other channels in the ATE; programming a second delay associated with a driver driving second data over the channel based on receipt of an edge of the second data so that timing of the second data is aligned to the timing of the channel; and programming a third delay associated with a signal to enable the driver to drive the second data over the channel, with the third delay being programmed to align timing of the signal to the timing of the channel, and with the third delay being based on an edge that corresponds to an edge of the signal created by controlling operation of the driver.

Abstract: An example system includes capture circuitry to obtain first parametric data based on a first signal at an interface to a first communication channel, with the first parametric data representing non-informational content of the first signal; and control circuitry to receive the first parametric data and to provide second parametric data, the second parametric data being based on one or both of: the first parametric data or a programmatic input. The example system also includes interface circuitry to receive the second parametric data and to receive informational content data representing informational content, and to process the informational content data and the second parametric data to produce a second signal. The second signal has the informational content represented by the informational content data and having at least some non-informational content based on the second parametric data.

Abstract: An example system includes a circuit board having electrical elements; a wafer having contacts; and an interconnect to route signals between the electrical elements and the contacts. The interconnect includes multiple layers, each of which includes a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a conductive trace disposed thereon. The interconnect also includes shielding between adjacent layers of the multiple layers. The shielding is electrically connected to ground.

Abstract: Example automatic test equipment (ATE) includes: a per-pin measurement unit (PPMU); logic configured to execute a state machine to control the PPMU; memory that is part of, or separate from, the logic; and a control system to command the logic; where, in response to a command from the control system, the state machine is configured to obtain, at a known interval or ATE event, data that is based on an output of a measurement by the PPMU and to store the data in the memory, or to output data to the PPMU from the memory at a known interval or synchronous to an event.

Abstract: An example system includes circuitry to receive an input signal, to provide a related signal based on informational content of the input signal, and to obtain parametric data associated with the input signal. The parametric data represents one or more signal characteristics other than the informational content. The example system also includes a first switch that is configurable to provide first data based on the related signal to one or more first channels of the system; and a second switch that is configurable to provide second data based on the parametric data to one or more second channels of the system.

Abstract: Example pin electronics includes driver circuitry to output a first optical signal to a UUT. The first optical signal is based on a first signal representing first informational content and one or more second signal representing first parametric information. Receiver circuitry receives a second optical signal from the UUT. The second optical signal is related to a third signal representing second informational content and one or more fourth signal representing second parametric information. Comparison circuitry obtains parametric data representing at least one of the first parametric information or the second parametric information, and compares, based on the parametric data, the at least one of the first parametric information or the second parametric information to one or more thresholds. Control circuitry adjusts at least some of the first parametric information prior to output of the first optical signal, and one or more of the thresholds.

Abstract: An example test system includes: a test slot to hold a device under test (DUT); a temperature control system comprising a phase-change material, with the temperature control system for maintaining a temperature of the phase-change material in a steady-state condition, with the phase-change material changing phase during a transient condition to affect a temperature of a thermally-conductive structure, and with the steady-state condition being longer in duration than the transient condition; and an air mover to direct air over the thermally-conductive structure and towards the DUT in the test slot in order to affect a temperature of the DUT.

Abstract: An example method is performed on a packet-oriented bus at a point between a source of a data packet and a destination of a data packet. The example method includes detecting a format of the data packet on the packet-oriented bus; determining a time at which the data packet was detected; generating a timestamp report containing the time, with the timestamp report being addressed to a device connected to the packet-oriented bus; and outputting the timestamp report to the device. Detecting, determining, generating, and outputting are performed by digital logic connected to the packet-oriented bus.

Abstract: Example automatic test equipment (ATE) includes: a test instrument for outputting test signals to test a device under test (DUT), and for receiving response signals based on the test signals; a device interface board (DIB) connected to the test instrument, with the DIB including an application space having a site to which the DUT connects, and with the test signals and the response signals passing through the site; and calibration circuitry in the application space on the DIB. The calibration circuitry includes a communication interface over which communications pass, with the communications comprising control signals to the calibration circuitry and measurement signals from the calibration circuitry. The calibration circuitry also includes non-volatile memory to store calibration data and is controllable, based on the control signals, to pass the test signals from the test instrument to the DUT and to pass the response signals from the DUT to the test instrument.

Abstract: An example system includes a channel over which signals are transmitted between test equipment and a device under test (DUT); and limiting circuitry to limit a voltage on the channel. The limiting circuitry includes a PN-junction device connected to pass current in response to the voltage on the channel exceeding a limit.

Abstract: Example circuitry to adjust a rise-fall skew in a signal includes: a latch including a first latch input, a second latch input, and a latch output, each of the first latch input and the second latch input being responsive to a rising edge of a version of a signal to provide a predefined logic level at the latch output; a first delay circuit that is controllable to configure a first delay, the first delay circuit being electrically connected to the first latch input and being for adjusting a rise portion of a skew in a first version of the signal; and a second delay circuit that is controllable to configure a second delay, the second delay circuit being electrically connected to the second latch input and being for adjusting a fall portion of the skew in a second version the signal.

Abstract: An example system includes input circuitry configured to obtain first data corresponding to first signals on a communication channel, with the first data having a first frequency that is less than a predefined frequency; and sampling circuitry configured to sample the first data to produce second data having a second frequency that is greater than or equal to the predefined frequency. The example system also includes switching circuitry configured to support AC-coupled data having a frequency that is greater than or equal to the predefined frequency, with the switching circuitry being configured to receive the second data and to forward the second data; and output circuitry to receive the second data and parametric data representing non-information signal content, to produce third data based on the second data, and to produce, based on the third data and the parametric data, second signals for output from the system.

Abstract: An example gripper may include: a base; two or more fingers attached to the base, with each finger being movable towards, and away from, one or more others of the fingers; and one or more ports at the base or at one or more of the fingers to provide suction through a vacuum.

Abstract: Automatic test equipment (ATE) may include: a test instrument to implement a communication protocol to communicate to a unit under test (UUT), where the test instrument is memory storing bytecode that is executable, and where the test instrument being configured to identify an event in communication between the test instrument and the UUT and, in response to the event, to execute the bytecode. The ATE may also include a test computing system to execute a test program and an editor program, where the editor program is for receiving human-readable code and for generating the bytecode from the human-readable code, and the test program is for registering the event with the test instrument and for downloading the bytecode to the test instrument for storage in the memory.