G01R31/3004

Source measure apparatus including feedback path and measurement path

A measurement apparatus includes external terminals configured for connection to a device-under-test (DUT), the external terminals including first and second force terminals and first and second sense terminals. The measurement apparatus further includes a controller and a feedback loop configured in a current feedback mode to sense a current flowing from the first force terminal to the second force terminal, and in a voltage feedback mode to sense a voltage across the first and second sense terminals. The measurement apparatus further includes a measurement path configured to measure a least one of a voltage and current across a pair of the external terminals and to supply the measured at least one of the voltage and current to the controller.

ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT PERFORMING ANALOG BUILT-IN SELF TEST AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF
20230137979 · 2023-05-04 · ·

An electronic circuit includes a ramp signal generator, an oscillator, a monitoring circuit and a logic controller. The ramp signal generator generates a ramp signal. The oscillator generates a clock signal. The monitoring circuit operates in an operation mode selected from a first mode of monitoring an external output voltage and a second mode of performing an analog built-in self-test (ABIST), and generates a comparator output. The logic controller controls the monitoring circuit to operate in the operation mode. When the monitoring circuit operates in the second mode, the logic controller counts the clock signal, controls the monitoring circuit to perform the ABIST based on the ramp signal, and generates an ABIST output indicating whether the monitoring circuit operates normally based on a value of the counting and the comparator output.

Circuits and techniques for assessing aging effects in semiconductor circuits

In some examples, a method of operating a circuit may comprise performing a circuit function under normal conditions, performing the circuit function under aggravated conditions, predicting a potential future problem with the circuit function under the normal conditions based on an output of the circuit function under the aggravated conditions, and outputting a predictive alert based on predicting the potential future problem.

DYNAMIC VOLTAGE SCALING IN HIERARCHICAL MULTI-TIER REGULATOR SUPPLY
20230010756 · 2023-01-12 ·

Obtaining a periodic test signal, sampling the periodic test signal using a sampling element according to a sampling clock to generate a sampled periodic output, the sampling element operating according to a supply voltage provided by a voltage regulator, the voltage regulator providing the supply voltage according to a supply voltage control signal, comparing the sampled periodic output to the sampling clock to generate a clock-to-Q measurement indicative of a delay value associated with the generation of the sampled periodic output in response to the sampling clock, generating the supply voltage control signal based at least in part on an average of the clock-to-Q measurement, and providing the supply voltage to a data sampling element connected to the voltage regulator, the data sampling element being a replica of the sampling element, the data sampling element sampling a stream of input data according to the sampling clock.

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MATCHING BOTH DYNAMIC AND STATIC PARAMETERS IN DIES, DISCRETES, AND/OR MODULES AND METHODS AND SYSTEMS BASED ON THE SAME
20230361089 · 2023-11-09 ·

A device binning and/or matching process includes measuring with a testing device currents and/or voltages of a device with respect to time, determining with the testing device binning and/or matching criteria for the device based on transfer data generated from the device currents and/or the voltages measured with respect to time, and outputting with the testing device the binning and/or matching criteria for the device. A system and power module are also disclosed.

Power profiling in an integrated circuit having a current sensing circuit

An integrated circuit (IC) includes subcircuits, power switches coupled to pass load current to a respective one of the subcircuits when activated by a respective switch control signal, and sensing circuits. Each of the sensing circuits is coupled to a respective one of the subcircuits, wherein the sensing circuits are configured to generate sense currents that are proportional to the respective load currents. The IC also includes a conversion circuit configured to receive at least one of the sense currents and to convert the at least one of the sense currents to an equivalent multi-bit digital signal, a timestamp circuit configured to generate a timestamp value that is correlated with the multi-bit digital signal, and a controller configured to provide signals to operate the power switches and the sensing circuits.

Identifying data valid windows

A tester including an interface configured to interface with an electronic device and a logic circuit. The logic circuit includes a pattern generator and at least one finite-state machine and is configured to sequentially acquire read data from the electronic device at sequential testing points of a testing range for evaluating an operating parameter of the electronic device or the tester until a set of consecutive passing points having a first passing point and a last passing point is identified, in response to identifying the first passing point, write data within the logic circuit of the tester identifying the first passing point, in response to identifying the last passing point, write data within the logic circuit of the tester identifying the last passing point, and output only data identifying the first passing point and data identifying the last passing point to a software application.

Dynamic voltage scaling in hierarchical multitier regulator supply
11803230 · 2023-10-31 · ·

Obtaining a periodic test signal, sampling the periodic test signal using a sampling element according to a sampling clock to generate a sampled periodic output, the sampling element operating according to a supply voltage provided by a voltage regulator, the voltage regulator providing the supply voltage according to a supply voltage control signal, comparing the sampled periodic output to the sampling clock to generate a clock-to-Q measurement indicative of a delay value associated with the generation of the sampled periodic output in response to the sampling clock, generating the supply voltage control signal based at least in part on an average of the clock-to-Q measurement, and providing the supply voltage to a data sampling element connected to the voltage regulator, the data sampling element being a replica of the sampling element, the data sampling element sampling a stream of input data according to the sampling clock.

Apparatus and a method for measuring a device current of a device under test

An apparatus for measuring a device current of a device under test (DUT) includes a first circuit including a first terminal for coupling to a first connection terminal of the DUT. The first circuit is configured to supply a first test voltage for the first terminal and to output a first output voltage sensed at the first terminal. The apparatus further includes a second circuit having a second terminal for coupling to a second connection terminal of the DUT. The second circuit is configured to supply a second test voltage for the second terminal and to output a second output voltage sensed at the second terminal. The apparatus further includes a third circuit configured to determine the device current of the DUT based on the first output voltage, the second output voltage, the first test voltage and the second test voltage. The first circuit and the second circuit are identical.

Method for testing a digital electronic circuit to be tested, corresponding test system and computer program product

In an embodiment a method for testing a digital electronic circuit includes coupling an external test equipment to a digital electronic circuit in order to apply an external voltage signal to the digital electronic circuit when an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) procedure with a given test pattern is performed, wherein a value of the external voltage signal is controlled by the external test equipment and measuring, at the external test equipment, the digital supply voltage at an output of the voltage regulator and at an input of the internal digital circuitry, wherein the external voltage signal is applied to the differential inputs of the op-amp voltage regulator through an adaptation circuit to obtain determined values of the digital supply voltage.