Abstract: A diagnostic extender card is plugged into a memory module socket on a personal computer (PC) motherboard. The extender card has a test socket that receives a memory module and an intercepting decoder chip that receives the chip-select (CS) from the motherboard that selects the memory module for access. When CS is activated, the intercepting decoder chip illuminates a visual indicator on the extender card, allowing a user to locate a memory module being accessed. The exact translation or mapping from logical addresses of test programs to physical addresses of the memory modules is not needed, since the visual indicator shows which memory module is really being accessed, regardless of proprietary address mapping by north bridge chips. Operating system memory accesses are filtered out by a counter that counts accesses during a period set by a timer. When the number of accesses exceeds a threshold, the visual indicator is lit.

Abstract: A parking-structure test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. An unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards, and a loader inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader to a parking and testing structure. An elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different parking levels in the parking and testing structure. The motherboards move from the elevator to test stations on the parking level. A retractable connector from the test station makes contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns via the elevator and conveyors.

Abstract: A low-profile personal computer (PC) motherboard has memory modules mounted to an edge of the motherboard rather than mounted perpendicular using standard memory module sockets. The PC motherboard has a lower profile since memory module sockets are removed from the top surface of the PC motherboard. Expansion card sockets are also removed by integrating expansion functions into chips on the PC motherboard, or using an edge-mounted connector to the expansion card or to an external peripheral. Motherboard metal contacts are formed on an extended plug region near the edge of the PC motherboard. A first opening or slot of an edge connector fits over the motherboard metal contacts, while a second opening or slot of the edge connector fits over metal contacts on a standard memory module. The memory module and the PC motherboard each have printed-circuit boards (PCBs) that are in the same plane, thus reducing the overall height.

Abstract: A diagnostic extender card is plugged into a memory module socket on a personal computer (PC) motherboard. The extender card has a test socket that receives a memory module and an intercepting decoder chip that receives the chip-select (CS) from the motherboard that selects the memory module for access. When CS is activated, the intercepting decoder chip illuminates a visual indicator on the extender card, allowing a user to locate a memory module being accessed. The exact translation or mapping from logical addresses of test programs to physical addresses of the memory modules is not needed, since the visual indicator shows which memory module is really being accessed, regardless of proprietary address mapping by north bridge chips. Operating system memory accesses are filtered out by a counter that counts accesses during a period set by a timer. When the number of accesses exceeds a threshold, the visual indicator is lit.

Abstract: A low-profile personal computer (PC) motherboard has memory modules mounted to an edge of the motherboard rather than mounted perpendicular using standard memory module sockets. The PC motherboard has a lower profile since memory module sockets are removed from the top surface of the PC motherboard. Expansion card sockets are also removed by integrating expansion functions into chips on the PC motherboard, or using an edge-mounted connector to the expansion card or to an external peripheral. Motherboard metal contacts are formed on an extended plug region near the edge of the PC motherboard. A first opening or slot of an edge connector fits over the motherboard metal contacts, while a second opening or slot of the edge connector fits over metal contacts on a standard memory module. The memory module and the PC motherboard each have printed-circuit boards (PCBs) that are in the same plane, thus reducing the overall height.

Abstract: A diagnostic extender card is plugged into a memory module socket on a personal computer (PC) motherboard. The extender card has a test socket that receives a memory module and an intercepting decoder chip that receives the chip-select (CS) from the motherboard that selects the memory module for access. When CS is activated, the intercepting decoder chip illuminates a visual indicator on the extender card, allowing a user to locate a memory module being accessed. The exact translation or mapping from logical addresses of test programs to physical addresses of the memory modules is not needed, since the visual indicator shows which memory module is really being accessed, regardless of proprietary address mapping by north bridge chips. Operating system memory accesses are filtered out by a counter that counts accesses during a period set by a timer. When the number of accesses exceeds a threshold, the visual indicator is lit.

Abstract: A diagnostic extender card is plugged into a memory module socket on a personal computer (PC) motherboard. The extender card has a test socket that receives a memory module and an intercepting decoder chip that receives the chip-select (CS) from the motherboard that selects the memory module for access. When CS is activated, the intercepting decoder chip illuminates a visual indicator on the extender card, allowing a user to locate a memory module being accessed. The exact translation or mapping from logical addresses of test programs to physical addresses of the memory modules is not needed, since the visual indicator shows which memory module is really being accessed, regardless of proprietary address mapping by north bridge chips. Operating system memory accesses are filtered out by a counter that counts accesses during a period set by a timer. When the number of accesses exceeds a threshold, the visual indicator is lit.

Abstract: A parking-structure test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. An unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards, and a loader inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader to a parking and testing structure. An elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different parking levels in the parking and testing structure. The motherboards move from the elevator to test stations on the parking level. A retractable connector from the test station makes contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns via the elevator and conveyors.

Abstract: A memory module test socket can accept modules with bent or warped printed-circuit boards (PCBs). A support plate is mounted above a Personal Computer (PC) motherboard by standoffs. An extender card fits through a slot in the support plate. The bottom edge of the extender card is plugged into a motherboard memory module socket on the motherboard. The top of the extender card has an extender socket that sits atop the support plate. End guides are mounted to the support plate and clamp down the extender socket. Funnel guides formed in the end guides have a funnel shape to guide ends of a memory module for better alignment when inserted into the extender socket. A pusher plate with a triangular guide or a perpendicular rod applies a perpendicular force on the middle of a warped memory module to align the middle to the extender socket during insertion.

Abstract: A conveyor-stack test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. A loader-unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards and inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader-unloader to an elevator. The elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different levels in a conveyor stack with multiple levels of conveyors each with many test stations. The motherboards move along conveyors in the conveyor stack until reaching test stations. A retractable connector from the test station extends to make contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns.

Abstract: A parking-structure test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. An unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards, and a loader inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader to a parking and testing structure. An elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different parking levels in the parking and testing structure. The motherboards move from the elevator to test stations on the parking level. A retractable connector from the test station makes contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns via the elevator and conveyors.

Abstract: A conveyor-stack test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. A loader-unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards and inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader-unloader to an elevator. The elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different levels in a conveyor stack with multiple levels of conveyors each with many test stations. The motherboards move along conveyors in the conveyor stack until reaching test stations. A retractable connector from the test station extends to make contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns.

Abstract: A conveyor-stack test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. A loader-unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards and inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader-unloader to an elevator. The elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different levels in a conveyor stack with multiple levels of conveyors each with many test stations. The motherboards move along conveyors in the conveyor stack until reaching test stations. A retractable connector from the test station extends to make contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns.

Abstract: Two robotic arms roam in separate, non-overlapping areas of a test station, avoiding collisions. A traveling buffer moves along x-tracks between a front position and a back position. In the front position, a first robotic arm loads IC chips from an input tray or stacker into buffer cavities in the traveling buffer. The traveling buffer then moves along the x-tracks to the back position, where a second robotic arm moves chips from the traveling buffer to test boards for testing. After testing, the second robotic arm moves chips to a second traveling buffer, which then moves along tracks to a front position for unloading by the first robotic arm. Two traveling buffers may move on the same tracks in a loop. The buffer cavities in the traveling buffer move on internal tracks to expand and contract spacing and pitch between the front and back positions to match test-board pitch.

Abstract: A branching memory-bus module has one uplink port and two or more downlink ports. Frames sent downstream by a host processor are received on the uplink port and repeated to the multiple downlink ports to two or more branches of memory modules. Frames sent upstream to the processor by a memory module on a downlink port are repeated to the uplink port. A branching Advanced Memory Buffer (AMB) on the branching memory-bus module has re-timing and re-synchronizing buffers that repeat frames to the multiple downlink ports. Elastic buffers can merge and synchronize frames from different downlink branches. Separate northbound and southbound lanes may be replaced by bidirectional lanes to reduce pin counts. Latency from the host processor to the farthest memory module is reduced by branching compared with a serial daisy-chain of fully-buffered memory modules. Point-to-point bus segments have only two endpoints despite branching by the branching AMB.

Abstract: A parking-structure test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. An unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards, and a loader inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader to a parking and testing structure. An elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different parking levels in the parking and testing structure. The motherboards move from the elevator to test stations on the parking level. A retractable connector from the test station makes contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns via the elevator and conveyors.

Abstract: A parking-structure test system has motherboards that test memory modules. The motherboards are not stationary but are placed inside movable trays that move along conveyors. An unloader removes tested memory modules from test sockets on the motherboards, and a loader inserts untested memory modules into the motherboards using a robotic arm. A conveyor carries the motherboards from the loader to a parking and testing structure. An elevator raises or lowers the motherboards to different parking levels in the parking and testing structure. The motherboards move from the elevator to test stations on the parking level. A retractable connector from the test station makes contact with a motherboard connector to power up the motherboard, which then tests the memory modules. Test results are communicated from the test station to a host controller, which instructs the loader-unloader to sort the tested memory modules once the motherboard returns via the elevator and conveyors.

Abstract: Two robotic arms roam in separate, non-overlapping areas of a test station, avoiding collisions. A traveling buffer moves along x-tracks between a front position and a back position. In the front position, a first robotic arm loads IC chips from an input tray or stacker into buffer cavities in the traveling buffer. The traveling buffer then moves along the x-tracks to the back position, where a second robotic arm moves chips from the traveling buffer to test boards for testing. After testing, the second robotic arm moves chips to a second traveling buffer, which then moves along tracks to a front position for unloading by the first robotic arm. Two traveling buffers may move on the same tracks in a loop. The buffer cavities in the traveling buffer move on internal tracks to expand and contract spacing and pitch between the front and back positions to match test-board pitch.

Abstract: A standard memory module socket is removed from a target DRAM module slot on the component side and the test adaptor board connects to the target DRAM module slot on the reverse (solder) side of a personal computer motherboard, or an extender card may be used. The target DRAM module slot is a middle slot, such as the second or third of four DRAM module slots. The first and fourth DRAM module slots are populated with known good memory modules storing the BIOS at a high address and an operating system image and a test program at a low address. The test program accesses a memory chip in a test socket on a test adaptor board that is connected to the target DRAM module slot to locate defects. The motherboard does not crash since the BIOS, OS image, and test program are not stored in the memory chip under test.

Abstract: A test adaptor board connects to a personal computer (PC) motherboard that tests a memory module in a test socket. A standard memory module socket is removed from a target DRAM module slot on the component side and the test adaptor board connects to the target DRAM module slot on the reverse (solder) side of the motherboard. The target DRAM module slot is a middle slot, such as the second or third of four DRAM module slots. The first and fourth DRAM module slots are populated with known good memory modules storing the BIOS at a high address and an operating system image and a test program at a low address. The test program accesses a memory module in the test socket to locate defects. The motherboard does not crash since the BIOS, OS image, and test program are not stored in the memory module under test.