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US Patent 7006939 - Method and apparatus for low cost signature testing for analog and RF circuits

US Patent Issued on February 28, 2006
Estimated Patent Expiration Date: Icon_subject April 18, 2021Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
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Abstract

A low cost signature test for RF and analog circuits. A model is provided to predict one or more performance parameters characterizing a first electronic circuit produced by a manufacturing process subject to process variation from the output of one or more second electronic circuits produced by the same process in response to a selected test stimulus, and iteratively varying the test stimulus to minimize the error between the predicted performance parameters and corresponding measured values for the performance parameters, for determining an optimized test stimulus. A non-linear model is preferably constructed for relating signature test results employing the optimized test stimulus in manufacturing testing to circuit performance parameters.

Other References

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Inventors

Assignee

Application

No. 09837887 filed on 04/18/2001

US Classes:

702/117, Of circuit702/118, Testing multiple circuits703/13, SIMULATING ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM703/14, Circuit simulation714/738, Including test pattern generator714/741, Simulation324/616, Gain or attenuation716/4Testing or evaluating

Field of Search

702/185, Cause or fault identification702/117, Of circuit702/118, Testing multiple circuits702/119, Including program initialization (e.g., program loading) or code selection (e.g., program creation)702/120, Including input/output or test mode selection means702/121, Including multiple test instruments702/123, Including program set up702/124, Signal generation or waveform shaping702/126, Signal conversion702/58, For electrical fault detection702/59, Fault location702/189, Measured signal processing702/112, Sinusoidal signal stimulus702/181, Probability determination702/182, Performance or efficiency evaluation702/183, Diagnostic analysis714/25, Fault locating (i.e., diagnosis or testing)714/30, Built-in hardware for diagnosing or testing within-system component (e.g., microprocessor test mode circuit, scan path)714/32, Particular stimulus creation714/33, Derived from analysis (e.g., of a specification or by stimulation)714/37, Analysis (e.g., of output, state, or design)714/724, Digital logic testing714/727, Boundary scan714/728, Random pattern generation (includes pseudorandom pattern)714/736, Device response compared to expected fault-free response714/732, Signature analysis714/738, Including test pattern generator714/740, Having analog signal714/718, Memory testing714/741, Simulation714/723, Error mapping or logging324/500, FAULT DETECTING IN ELECTRIC CIRCUITS AND OF ELECTRIC COMPONENTS324/512, For fault location324/765, Test of semiconductor device324/73.1, PLURAL, AUTOMATICALLY SEQUENTIAL TESTS324/602, With auxiliary means to condition stimulus/response signals324/600, IMPEDANCE, ADMITTANCE OR OTHER QUANTITIES REPRESENTATIVE OF ELECTRICAL STIMULUS/RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS365/201, Testing438/14, WITH MEASURING OR TESTING438/17, Electrical characteristic sensed438/18, Utilizing integral test element716/1, CIRCUIT DESIGN716/2, Optimization (e.g., redundancy, compaction)716/4, Testing or evaluating703/13, SIMULATING ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM703/14, Circuit simulation700/108, Performance monitoring700/109, Quality control700/121Integrated circuit production or semiconductor fabrication

Examiners

Primary: Wachsman, Hal

Attorney, Agent or Firm

US Patent References

4991176, Optimal test generation for finite state machine models
Issued on: 02/05/1991
Inventor: Dahbura, et al.
5341315, Test pattern generation device
Issued on: 08/23/1994
Inventor: Niwa, et al.
6114858System for measuring noise figure of a radio frequency device
Issued on: 09/05/2000
Inventor: Kasten

International Class

G06F 11/263

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