Signal transmission method based on chip test

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of chip testing, and particularly discloses a signal transmission method based on chip testing, which comprises the following steps: carrying out non-image function testing on a TOF (Time of Flight) chip by utilizing a T800 testing machine, and comprehensively detecting the basic electrical performance of the chip; after the test is completed, the T800 test machine supplies power to the TOF chip and performs register configuration to ensure that the chip enters a normal working state; the TOF chip outputs data according to an MIPI protocol format, the high-speed MIPI acquisition card acquires the data, a test light source is adjusted in real time according to test requirements during acquisition, and the acquisition card synchronously performs protocol analysis and data storage; the acquisition card uploads the processed data to the PC terminal, and the PC terminal performs operation processing on the data by means of a CIS type API function in the T800 test machine or a client algorithm and displays an operation result; the test of the related function parameters of the image is realized by repeating the process and switching the corresponding mode of the chip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of chip testing, and specifically relates to a signal transmission method based on chip testing. Background Art

[0002] In the context of the current booming semiconductor industry, TOF (Time of Flight) technology, with its excellent performance in fields such as distance measurement and 3D imaging, is widely used in multiple industries such as smartphones, security monitoring, and automotive autonomous driving. The closely related CIS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Image Sensor) chip, as the core component for image information acquisition, has become increasingly important in various electronic devices.

[0003] However, the existing domestic TOF / CIS chip testing technologies face many challenges. Currently, most TOF / CIS chip tests are completed through multiple test processes to test the overall functions of the chip. Among them, ATE (Automatic Test Equipment) undertakes the electrical performance parameter testing work, which can accurately measure basic electrical parameters such as the voltage, current, and resistance of the chip to determine whether the chip meets the standards in terms of electrical performance. The camera module is responsible for completing the image parameter tests, such as detecting parameters such as image clarity, color restoration degree, and contrast. Although this multi-process testing method can comprehensively detect the performance of the chip, it also has obvious drawbacks.

[0004] With the continuous progress of new TOF / CIS image chip technologies, their resolution and refresh rate have been greatly improved. Taking the TOF / CIS chips used in smartphones as an example, the resolution has increased from hundreds of thousands of pixels in the early days to tens of millions of pixels today, and the refresh rate has also increased from dozens of hertz to hundreds of hertz or even higher. In this case, traditional data transmission interfaces, such as DVP (Digital Video Port), LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), etc., can no longer meet the data throughput requirements. These traditional interfaces have limitations in terms of data transmission rate, bandwidth, etc., resulting in a large amount of data being unable to be transmitted in a timely and accurate manner during the test, affecting the accuracy of the test results and the test efficiency.

[0005] Although in 2003, the MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) Alliance launched a targeted MIPI protocol to meet the needs of high-speed data transmission. The MIPI protocol has the advantages of high speed, low power consumption, and strong anti-interference ability, and can well adapt to the data transmission requirements of new TOF / CIS chips. However, the existing mainstream ATE testers in the market do not include the function of parsing the MIPI protocol, which makes it impossible to integrate the electrical performance parameter test and the image parameter test during the test, further reducing the test efficiency and integrity. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a signal transmission method based on chip testing, aiming to solve the problems of low efficiency, low number of chips tested simultaneously, and insufficient support for the MIPI protocol in the existing TOF / CIS chip testing. By optimizing the test process and signal transmission method, the integrated test of electrical parameters and image parameters is realized, the test efficiency is improved, and the support ability for the MIPI protocol is enhanced, so as to meet the requirements of the modern chip industry for efficient and accurate testing.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions: A signal transmission method based on chip testing includes the following steps: Use a T800 tester to conduct non-image function tests on the TOF chip to comprehensively detect the basic electrical performance of the chip; After the test is completed, the T800 tester powers the TOF chip and performs register configuration to ensure that the chip enters the normal working state; The TOF chip outputs data in the MIPI protocol format. At this time, a high-speed MIPI acquisition card collects the data. During the collection, the test light source is adjusted in real time according to the test requirements, and the acquisition card synchronously performs protocol parsing and data storage; The acquisition card uploads the processed data to the PC side. The PC side uses the CIS-related API functions or client algorithms in the T800 tester to perform arithmetic processing on the data and display the arithmetic results; For the test of image-related function parameters, it is achieved by repeating the above process and switching the corresponding mode of the chip.

[0008] As a further solution of the present invention: The resources of the T800 tester are composed of a power supply board and a digital board. Among them, the power supply board provides stable power support for the TOF chip to ensure the stable operation of the chip during the test, and the digital board is responsible for processing and transmitting digital signals, so as to achieve accurate testing and effective control of the chip functions.

[0009] As a further solution of the present invention: The Sensor interfaces supported by the high-speed MIPI acquisition card include MIPI D-PHY CSI and MIPI C-PHY CSI, where the maximum rate of MIPI D-PHY is 1.9 Gbps / Lane, and the maximum rate of MIPI C-PHY is 1.5 Gsps / Trio.

[0010] As a further solution of the present invention: The test light source uses a light source device with adjustable color temperature. During the test, in addition to adjusting the brightness and frequency, the color temperature can also be changed according to the test requirements to simulate different lighting environments.

[0011] As a further solution of the present invention: When presenting the calculation results on the PC side, they can be presented in a variety of intuitive forms, including data reports, bar charts, line charts, etc.

[0012] As a further solution of the present invention: After the data is uploaded to the PC side, the PC side software has a data backup function, and can automatically back up the test data to a local storage device or a cloud server.

[0013] Advantages of the present invention: The present invention realizes the integrated test of electrical parameters and image parameters, and simplifies the traditional multi-channel test process into a coherent test flow. Through the collaborative work of the T800 test machine, high-speed MIPI acquisition card and PC host, the comprehensive detection of the electrical performance and image performance of the chip can be completed in one test process, reducing the connection time and error between test processes, and improving the integrity and accuracy of the test; The function of supporting up to 16 SITEs for parallel testing has significantly improved the test efficiency. In the same amount of time, the number of chips that can be tested has increased significantly, effectively alleviating the test pressure of chip manufacturing enterprises during large-scale production. Taking a production line that needs to test 10,000 chips per day as an example, using the traditional single SITE test scheme takes a lot of time, while using the 16 SITE parallel test scheme of the present invention, the test time can be shortened to about one-sixteenth of the original, greatly improving the production efficiency and reducing the production cost; It has a higher coverage rate for the MIPI protocol and can give full play to the advantages of the MIPI protocol in high-speed data transmission. The application of the high-speed MIPI acquisition card enables the rapid and accurate acquisition and processing of a large amount of data when testing new TOF / CIS image chips, ensuring the reliability of the test results. At the same time, corresponding test solutions are also provided for traditional interface types such as DVP and LVDS, ensuring the compatibility of the test system with chips of different interface types. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] Figure 1 It is a flowchart showing a signal transmission method based on chip testing of the present invention. Specific embodiments

[0016] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0017] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, the present invention is a signal transmission method based on chip testing, including the following steps: Use a T800 tester to conduct non-image function tests on the TOF chip to comprehensively detect the basic electrical performance of the chip; After the test is completed, the T800 tester powers the TOF chip and performs register configuration to ensure that the chip enters the normal working state; The TOF chip outputs data in the MIPI protocol format. At this time, the high-speed MIPI acquisition card collects the data, adjusts the test light source in real time according to the test requirements during the collection, and the acquisition card synchronously performs protocol parsing and data storage; The acquisition card uploads the processed data to the PC side. The PC side uses the CIS class API functions or client algorithms in the T800 tester to perform arithmetic processing on the data and display the operation results; For the test of image-related function parameters, it is achieved by repeating the above process and switching the corresponding mode of the chip.

[0018] Preparations before testing: Before actual testing, a series of preparatory work needs to be carried out. First, accurately install the TOF chip on the corresponding test station of the T800 tester. During the installation process, ensure that the pins of the chip are tightly connected to the socket of the tester to avoid poor contact. At the same time, carefully check the connection lines between the test light source, the PC host and the high-speed MIPI acquisition card to ensure stable and correct connection. After the connection is completed, start the test software on the PC host to perform initialization settings on devices such as the T800 machine, the light source, and the acquisition card. During the initialization process, the test software will automatically detect the status of each device, such as whether the device is normally connected, and whether the model and parameters of the device are correct. If a problem is detected with the device, the software will prompt the operator to perform corresponding processing.

[0019] Testing process: Non-Image Function Test and Power Supply Configuration Phase: Under the control of the test software, the T800 tester starts the non-image function test on the TOF chip. The T800 tester sends specific test signals to the chip to detect whether the logical functions of the chip are normal. For example, testing the reset function, clock signal processing function, etc. of the chip. After completing the non-image function test, the T800 tester powers the TOF chip. During the power supply process, the stability of voltage and current should be strictly controlled to ensure that the chip can operate within the normal working voltage and current range. At the same time, the T800 tester configures the registers of the chip according to the preset configuration parameters. These parameters are preset according to the chip model and test requirements. By configuring the registers, the chip enters a specific working mode to prepare for subsequent data acquisition.

[0020] Data Acquisition Phase: After the TOF chip completes power supply and register configuration, it starts to output data in the MIPI protocol format. The high-speed MIPI acquisition card real-time collects this data. During the acquisition process, the acquisition card adjusts parameters such as the brightness and frequency of the light source according to the working state of the chip and test requirements. For example, when detecting the sensitivity of the chip, the acquisition card controls the light source to gradually reduce the brightness and observes the data output of the chip under different light intensities. The acquisition card parses the acquired MIPI data and converts it into a data format that can be recognized by the PC host. At the same time, the acquisition card saves the parsed data for subsequent analysis and verification. When saving the data, the acquisition card stores it according to a certain file format and storage path, which is convenient for testers to search and call.

[0021] Data Processing and Result Display Phase: The acquisition card uploads the acquired, parsed, and saved data to the PC side. The test software on the PC side calls the existing CIS class API functions in the T800 software (or uses the client algorithm) to calculate the data. During the calculation process, the software analyzes the data using corresponding algorithms according to different test metrics. For example, when detecting bad pixels, the software compares the data differences of adjacent pixel points to determine whether there are abnormal pixels; when calculating the SNR, the software calculates according to the ratio relationship between the signal intensity and the noise intensity. After the calculation is completed, the PC side displays the calculation results on the screen in an intuitive way. The display method can be in the form of a chart, such as a bar chart showing the comparison of various performance parameters of different chips; it can also be in the form of a data report, listing in detail the numerical values of various performance parameters of each chip, which is convenient for testers to view and analyze.

[0022] Multi-SITE Test Operation: When performing multi-SITE tests (the present invention supports up to 16 SITEs at most), the T800 testing machine simultaneously performs the above testing process on multiple TOF chips. During the testing process, each testing station of the T800 testing machine works independently, and performs operations such as non-image function testing, power supply configuration, and data acquisition on the corresponding chips respectively. The high-speed MIPI acquisition card parallelly acquires the MIPI data output by multiple chips, and respectively performs protocol parsing, data saving, and uploading. The testing software on the PC side calculates and analyzes the data of multiple chips respectively, and simultaneously displays the testing results of multiple chips. When displaying the results, the software will distinguish the results of different chips, for example, representing different chips by different colors or identifiers, which is convenient for testers to quickly identify and compare the performance of each chip.

[0023] Test switching for different interface types: For parallel interface type tests such as DVP format and LVDS format, the acquisition can be directly performed through the T800 HDM800. When using the T800 HDM800 for acquisition, it is necessary to correctly set the parameters of the T800 HDM800 according to the interface type and data transmission requirements of the chip. For example, set parameters such as data transmission rate and data bit width. If the acquisition rate of the T800 HDM800 cannot meet the testing requirements of some high-speed chips, the acquisition card for LVDS and other formats launched later can be replaced for testing. When replacing the acquisition card, it is necessary to reconnect the test circuit and perform corresponding configuration on the testing software to ensure the normal operation of the testing system.

[0024] The above has described an embodiment of the present invention in detail, but the content described is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and cannot be considered as used to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. All equivalent changes and improvements made according to the scope of the application of the present invention should still fall within the scope covered by the patent of the present invention.

Claims

1. A signal transmission method based on chip testing, characterized in that It includes the following steps: Use the T800 tester to conduct non-image function tests on the TOF chip to comprehensively detect the basic electrical performance of the chip; After the test is completed, the T800 tester powers the TOF chip and performs register configuration to ensure that the chip enters the normal working state; The TOF chip outputs data in the MIPI protocol format. At this time, the high-speed MIPI acquisition card collects the data, adjusts the test light source in real time according to the test requirements during the collection, and the acquisition card synchronously performs protocol parsing and data storage; The acquisition card uploads the processed data to the PC side. The PC side uses the CIS class API functions or client algorithms in the T800 tester to perform arithmetic processing on the data and display the arithmetic results; For the test of image-related function parameters, it is achieved by repeating the above process and switching the corresponding mode of the chip.

2. The signal transmission method based on chip testing according to claim 1, wherein The resources of the T800 tester are composed of a power supply board and a digital board. Among them, the power supply board provides stable power support for the TOF chip to ensure the stable operation of the chip during the test. The digital board is responsible for processing and transmitting digital signals to achieve accurate testing and effective control of the chip functions.

3. A signal transmission method based on chip testing according to claim 1, wherein, The Sensor interfaces supported by the high-speed MIPI acquisition card include MIPI D-PHY CSI and MIPI C-PHY CSI. Among them, the maximum rate of MIPI D-PHY is 1.9 Gbps / Lane, and the maximum rate of MIPI C-PHY is 1.5 Gsps / Trio.

4. A signal transmission method based on chip testing according to claim 1, wherein The test light source uses a light source device with adjustable color temperature. During the test, in addition to adjusting the brightness and frequency, the color temperature can also be changed according to the test requirements to simulate different lighting environments.

5. A signal transmission method based on chip testing according to claim 1, characterized in that, When presenting the calculation results on the PC side, they can be presented in a variety of intuitive forms, including data reports, bar charts, line charts, etc.

6. A signal transmission method based on chip testing according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the data is uploaded to the PC side, the PC side software has a data backup function and can automatically back up the test data to a local storage device or a cloud server.

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