Test System

Abstract

This application provides a testing system applicable to the field of testing technology. The testing system includes: a board under test (DUT), comprising signal probes, a voltage regulator under test, and a signal link connecting the signal probes and the voltage regulator; a testing device, comprising: a load circuit connected to the voltage regulator via a load cable; wherein the voltage drop across the load cable is greater than the voltage drop across the signal link, and the load cable is surrounded by a cooling layer; and a controller connected to the signal probes and the load circuit, configured to: acquire output parameter signals of the voltage regulator via the signal link; and, based on the output parameter signals, control the load circuit to output corresponding test signals via the load cable to perform a load test on the voltage regulator; wherein the output parameter signals indicate at least one of the voltage regulator's output voltage or output current.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of testing technology, and more specifically to a testing system. Background Technology

[0002] As the computing power demands of hardware devices increase, the manufacturing process of voltage regulators (VRs), used to ensure stable power supply voltages to the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), continues to shrink, resulting in continuously decreasing operating voltages. However, the current requirements and power consumption of these voltage regulators have risen sharply; for example, current requirements reaching hundreds of amperes or even higher have become commonplace. This "low-voltage, high-current" power supply mode presents challenges for testing voltage regulators. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above problems, this application provides a testing system.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this application, a test system is provided, comprising: a board under test (BUT) including a signal probe, a voltage regulator under test, and a signal link connecting the signal probe and the voltage regulator; a test device including: a load circuit connected to the voltage regulator via a load cable; wherein the voltage drop across the load cable is greater than the voltage drop across the signal link, and the load cable is surrounded by a cooling layer; and a controller connected to the signal probe and the load circuit, configured to: acquire output parameter signals of the voltage regulator via the signal link; and, based on the output parameter signals, control the load circuit to output corresponding test signals via the load cable to perform a load test on the voltage regulator; wherein the output parameter signals are used to indicate at least one of the output voltage or output current of the voltage regulator.

[0005] According to an embodiment of this application, the controller acquires output parameter signals via a signal link, and then controls the load circuit to provide test signals to the voltage regulator of the board under test via a load cable based on the output parameter signals. This avoids transmitting test signals via the signal link used to acquire the output parameter signals, thereby preventing the test signals from affecting the quality of the output parameter signals. Furthermore, since the voltage drop across the signal link is smaller than that across the load cable, the parasitic resistance of the signal link is smaller than that of the load cable. This further improves the quality of the output parameter signals.

[0006] Furthermore, due to the relatively large voltage drop of the load cable, it is more prone to generating relatively large amounts of heat, leading to an increase in the load cable's temperature. This, in turn, increases the load cable's parasitic resistance and reduces its reliability. To address this, a cooling layer around the load cable can cool it, at least partially preventing solder detachment due to overheating, thereby improving the load cable's reliability and reducing its parasitic resistance. This allows for the provision of accurate test signals to the board under test (DUT), further improving the accuracy of testing the DUT's voltage regulator. Thus, this embodiment improves the accuracy of load testing and signal acquisition, eliminating the need for manual intervention based on the large errors in the acquired output parameter signals. The controller can automatically and accurately perform load testing based on the output parameter signals, improving testing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The above-mentioned contents, other objects, features and advantages of this application will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will be explained in conjunction with the drawings.

[0008] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a test system according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0009] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a test system according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0010] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a test system according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0011] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a heat dissipation module according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a test system according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0013] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a cooling layer according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 .

[0014] Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a cooling layer according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 .

[0015] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a cooling pipe according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0016] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a test method according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of this application.

[0018] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0019] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0020] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B and C, etc.).

[0021] It should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. The terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can be fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can be mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; they can be internal connections between two elements. The terms "parallel," "perpendicular," and "equal" include the described situation and situations similar to the described situation, the range of which is within an acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable deviation range for approximate parallelism can be, for example, within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable deviation range for approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, within 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, where an acceptable deviation range for approximate equality can be, for example, a difference between the two equal items being less than or equal to 5% of either one. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0022] As the computing power demands of hardware devices increase, the manufacturing process of voltage regulators, used to ensure stable power supply voltages to central processing units and image processing units, continues to shrink, resulting in continuously decreasing operating voltages. However, the current requirements and power consumption of voltage regulators are rising sharply; for example, current requirements reaching hundreds of amperes or even higher have become the norm. This "low voltage, high current" power supply mode presents challenges for the testing of voltage regulators.

[0023] In some schemes, a load circuit can be used to perform a load test on the voltage regulator. In this scheme, numerous load cables are soldered to the output terminals of the voltage regulator's output capacitor to electrically connect the voltage regulator's output to the input of the load circuit. Based on this, voltage sampling can be performed at the input of the load circuit via the load cables. However, in this scheme, when a large current (I) flows through the cables and the traces of the load circuit, it will be affected by the inherent parasitic resistance (R). cableThis produces a significant pressure drop (ΔV = I*R). cable This voltage drop ΔV causes the voltage at the sampling point of the load circuit to be much lower than the actual voltage at the output point of the voltage regulator. For example, with a load current of 550 A, even a parasitic resistance of only 1 mΩ will produce a voltage drop of 0.55 V. Based on this, this voltage drop will cause a significant error in the test results of a voltage regulator with an output voltage of only 0.9 V.

[0024] Furthermore, during high-current load operations, energy loss accumulates rapidly as heat. Many solutions utilize air cooling for the load circuit and cables. However, air cooling has limited heat exchange efficiency, and under continuous testing at kilowatts or even higher power, it can cause the load circuit to overheat, triggering overheat protection and potentially leading to permanent damage. Additionally, overheating of the load cables causes insulation aging, increasing the cable's parasitic resistance (R0). cable Further increases in temperature can melt the solder at the ports where the load cables connect to the load circuit, posing a safety hazard. Furthermore, temperature drift caused by high temperatures can affect the accuracy of the test, introducing systemic errors in the test results that are difficult to eliminate.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a test system according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the test system of this embodiment may include the board under test and test equipment. It should be further noted that in this embodiment, X can be used to represent a first direction, Y can be used to represent a second direction, and Z can be used to represent a third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction intersect each other (e.g., perpendicularly). The first direction X and the third direction Z can be directions parallel to the plane of the paper, and the second direction Y can be a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. The same applies below, and will not be elaborated further.

[0027] The board under test (DUT) can be a server motherboard. This DUT may include signal probes, a voltage regulator to be tested, and signal links. It should be noted that, although in Figure 1 In this embodiment, the signal probe, voltage regulator, and signal link are placed on the surface of the board under test. However, it should be understood that this is only for the purpose of illustrating the signal probe, the voltage regulator under test, and the signal link. In other embodiments of this application, the signal probe, the voltage regulator under test, and the signal link may also be placed inside the board under test. The same applies to other devices shown on the surface in the embodiments of this application, which will not be described in detail here.

[0028] A voltage regulator can stabilize the supply voltage provided to devices such as a central processing unit. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the voltage regulator can also be connected to a signal probe via a signal link to provide the signal probe with the voltage regulator's output parameter signal. Specifically, the signal probe can also be connected to a test device to provide the output parameter signal to the test device. The signal link can be a printed circuit board (PCB) trace. The output parameter signal can be used to indicate at least one of the voltage regulator's output voltage or output current.

[0029] The test equipment may include a controller. This controller may be a device such as a microcontroller unit (MCU). Furthermore, the controller may be connected to signal probes to acquire the output parameter signals of the voltage regulator via a signal link.

[0030] The testing equipment may also include a load circuit. This load circuit can be a device such as an electronic load cell. Specifically, the load circuit can be connected to a controller and then connected to a voltage regulator via a load cable. Based on this, the controller can control the load circuit to output corresponding test signals via the load cable according to the output parameter signals to perform a load test on the voltage regulator. For example, the test signals may include voltage signals or current signals. If the output parameter signal indicates the output voltage of the voltage regulator, the controller can control the voltage value of the voltage signal output by the load circuit according to the output voltage of the voltage regulator; if the output parameter signal indicates the output current of the voltage regulator, the controller can control the current value of the current signal output by the load circuit according to the output current of the voltage regulator. In this way, automated constant voltage and constant current testing of the voltage regulator can be achieved.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the voltage drop across the load cable is greater than the voltage drop across the signal link. Since the voltage drop across the signal link is less than that across the load cable, using the signal link to acquire the output parameter signal avoids the large parasitic resistance of the load cable and the test signal affecting the quality of the output parameter signal, thus facilitating accurate control of the load circuit by the controller. Furthermore, because the voltage drop across the load cable is greater than that of the signal link, relatively large heat is generated. Consequently, the parasitic resistance of the load cable also increases with temperature, affecting the quality of the test signal. Therefore, in this embodiment, the load cable is surrounded by a cooling layer. This cooling layer can reduce the parasitic resistance of the load cable by cooling it, further improving the accuracy of testing the board under test.

[0032] Based on this, in this embodiment, the controller acquires the output parameter signal via a signal link, and then controls the load circuit to provide a test signal to the voltage regulator of the board under test via a load cable based on the output parameter signal. This avoids transmitting the test signal via the signal link used to acquire the output parameter signal, thereby preventing the test signal from affecting the quality of the output parameter signal. Furthermore, since the voltage drop across the signal link is smaller than that across the load cable, the parasitic resistance of the signal link is smaller than that of the load cable. This further improves the quality of the output parameter signal.

[0033] Furthermore, due to the relatively large voltage drop of the load cable, it is more prone to generating relatively large amounts of heat, leading to an increase in the load cable's temperature. This, in turn, increases the load cable's parasitic resistance and reduces its reliability. To address this, a cooling layer around the load cable can cool it, at least partially preventing solder detachment due to overheating, thereby improving the load cable's reliability and reducing its parasitic resistance. This allows for the provision of accurate test signals to the board under test (DUT), further improving the accuracy of testing the DUT's voltage regulator. Thus, this embodiment improves the accuracy of load testing and signal acquisition, eliminating the need for manual intervention based on the large errors in the acquired output parameter signals. The controller can automatically and accurately perform load testing based on the output parameter signals, improving testing efficiency.

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a test system according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the signal link can be a signal trace supporting the Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) protocol. Based on this, the controller can connect to the signal probe via clock cables, data cables, and ground cables to connect to the signal link. Thus, the controller can connect to the voltage regulator via the signal trace based on the I2C protocol. Furthermore, the output parameter signal can be an I2C signal, specifically a digital signal. Since digital signals are less susceptible to interference during transmission than analog signals, transmitting the output parameter signal via a signal trace supporting the I2C protocol can at least partially improve the quality of the output parameter signal received by the controller. It should be noted that the voltage drop across the clock cable, data cable, and ground cable is less than the voltage drop across the load cable. Therefore, compared to the load cable, the clock cable, data cable, and ground cable can improve the accuracy of the transmitted output parameter signal as much as possible during transmission.

[0036] Based on this, the embodiments of this application realize remote voltage sampling and remote current sampling by using an integrated circuit bus protocol, which at least partially reduces the impact of voltage drop inside the test equipment and cables on the test results, and provides the possibility for accurate verification of load testing in low voltage and high current environments.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the load cable may include a positive load line and a negative load line. Based on this, this embodiment can achieve remote sampling of the voltage regulator using the above connection method. Specifically, a load cable with sufficient current carrying capacity and as short as possible can be physically connected to the voltage regulator, wherein the positive load line is connected to the port of the voltage regulator used for output voltage, and the negative load line is connected to the ground port of the board under test with a large current carrying capacity. Furthermore, the controller's clock cable, data cable, and ground signal cable are connected to the signal probe to obtain the output parameter signal based on the integrated circuit bus protocol, i.e., to obtain the real-time output voltage and output current values ​​of the voltage regulator. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the voltage regulator may have a dedicated port for the integrated circuit bus protocol, and the output parameter signal can be provided to the signal probe through this port via a signal link; this will not be elaborated further here.

[0038] In this embodiment, the controller can generate a voltage control signal based on the voltage difference between the output voltage and a predetermined voltage, when the output parameter signal indicates the output voltage of the voltage regulator, and control the test signal of the load circuit based on the voltage control signal. For example, in a constant voltage test, if the output voltage is higher than the predetermined voltage, the controller can generate a voltage control signal to increase the current value of the test signal based on the voltage difference, so as to reduce the output voltage of the voltage regulator; if the output voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage, the controller can generate a voltage control signal to decrease the current value of the test signal based on the voltage difference, so as to increase the output voltage of the voltage regulator.

[0039] However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. In the embodiments of this application, the controller can generate a current control signal based on the current difference between the output current and a predetermined current when the output parameter signal indicates the output current of the voltage regulator, and control the test signal of the load circuit based on the current control signal. For example, in constant current testing, when the output current is higher than the predetermined current, the controller can generate a current control signal based on the current difference to control the reduction of the equivalent resistance of the load circuit, so as to reduce the output current of the voltage regulator; when the output current is lower than the predetermined current, the controller can generate a current control signal based on the current difference to control the increase of the equivalent resistance of the load circuit, so as to increase the output current of the voltage regulator. The above process can be implemented based on an algorithm pre-configured in the controller, which will not be elaborated here.

[0040] Based on this, since the current flowing through the signal link loop is small, the voltage drop of this loop is negligible. This at least partially improves the accuracy of the output parameter signal. Furthermore, during load testing, the controller can use the voltage regulator's output voltage as feedback to adjust the load circuit's output voltage in real time, and also use the voltage regulator's output current as feedback to adjust the load circuit's output current in real time, thereby achieving constant voltage and constant current testing. This realizes automated load testing of the voltage regulator by the controller.

[0041] In this embodiment, to at least partially avoid excessive heat absorption by the power devices in the load circuit, the load circuit does not rely on a single high-power device, but instead uses multiple power devices connected in parallel to share the current. The power devices can be power transistors (e.g., metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors, MOSFETs). Each power transistor can be controlled by an independent drive circuit, which can be controlled by a controller. Based on this, the controller can freely control the on / off state of each power transistor according to a pre-set program. Thus, by controlling the on / off state of the power transistors in different branches, different branches can be combined to accurately synthesize an equivalent resistance of any value.

[0042] Specifically, the load circuit may include multiple power transistors connected in parallel between the positive and negative load lines. In one embodiment of this application, the controller can simultaneously control at least one power transistor that needs to be turned on to be in the on state. However, when a large number of power transistors need to be turned on, this method will cause a large instantaneous current, thereby causing component damage. Therefore, in another embodiment of this application, for at least one power transistor that needs to be turned on, the controller can control the conduction state of at least one power transistor among the multiple power transistors in a pre-set order, so as to adjust the test signal by controlling the current flowing through the positive and negative load lines to change linearly over time. In this way, the controller can achieve staggered power-on, causing the branch containing at least one transistor to be turned on sequentially, so that the output current of the load circuit rises smoothly, at least partially avoiding damage to the power transistors.

[0043] In this embodiment, the testing system may further include a temperature sensor. This temperature sensor can be used to detect the temperature of at least one of the load circuit or load cable. Furthermore, the temperature sensor can be connected to a controller to provide the acquired temperature to the controller.

[0044] Based on this, the controller can receive temperatures from the temperature sensor at multiple times and determine the temperature rise of at least one of the load circuits or load cables based on these temperatures. For example, the controller can determine the temperature rise of the load circuit based on the temperatures of two adjacent times. Similarly, the controller can determine the temperature rise of the load cable based on the temperatures of two adjacent times.

[0045] Furthermore, the controller can determine the corresponding error compensation value based on the temperature rise. For example, it can pre-collect historical temperature rise values ​​of at least one of the load circuits or load cables, and collect historical output voltage error values ​​or historical output current error values ​​of the voltage regulator corresponding to these historical temperature rise values. In this way, at least one of the historical output voltage error values ​​or historical output current error values ​​corresponding to historical temperature rise values ​​that are the same as or similar to the temperature rise value can be determined as the error compensation value. Then, the error compensation value can be used to compensate for at least one of the output voltage or output current. Alternatively, the controller can also process the temperature rise value based on a pre-set compensation algorithm to obtain the corresponding error compensation value. In this way, the controller can dynamically fine-tune the minute resistance changes of the signal link based on the error compensation value, thereby achieving high-precision measurement in all weather conditions.

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a test system according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, in addition to the signal probes and voltage regulators of the board under test described above, the controller and load circuit of the test equipment, the clock cable, data cable and ground signal cable for connecting the controller and signal probes, and the positive load line and negative load line for connecting the voltage regulator and load circuit, the test system may also include a host computer.

[0048] The host computer can obtain the address of the voltage regulator input by the user and send the address to the controller. Upon receiving the address, the controller can determine the signal link from multiple links based on the pre-stored association between addresses and links, and select the appropriate link to provide output parameter signals from that link to the host computer. The host computer can process the received output parameter signals and output the processed data as the test result. Furthermore, the controller can also control the load circuit to perform load testing based on the output parameter signals, as described above. Thus, the host computer can configure the controller, enabling it to perform efficient and accurate automated testing of the voltage regulator based on the aforementioned signal links, load circuits, and load cables.

[0049] also, Figure 3The illustrated test equipment may also include a heat dissipation module. This heat dissipation module may include a plate cooling unit and a liquid cooling unit. Based on this, embodiments of this application provide an integrated plate cooling and liquid cooling module architecture for power devices and cables, applicable to high-current load testing equipment. Based on this architecture, the test equipment of this application adopts an active heat dissipation scheme combining a cold plate and a liquid cooling circulation system to achieve efficient cooling of the load circuit and load cables.

[0050] Specifically, the output port of the heat dissipation module is connected to the first opening of the cooling layer, and the input port of the heat dissipation module is connected to the second opening of the cooling layer. In this way, the heat dissipation module can input coolant into the interior of the cooling layer through the first opening, so that the heat of the load cable can be conducted to the coolant flowing inside the cooling layer, and receive the heat-conducted coolant from the interior of the cooling layer through the second opening, and cool the heat-conducted coolant.

[0051] In addition, the testing equipment may also include a cooling plate. The surface of the cooling plate can be used to support the load circuit. The cooling plate may include a copper or aluminum cooling plate with good thermal conductivity to cool the load circuit. The cooling plate has cooling pipes (or microchannels) inside, with a first port connected to the output port of the heat dissipation module and a second port connected to the input port. Thus, the heat dissipation module can also inject coolant into the cooling pipes through the first port, allowing heat from the load circuit to be conducted to the coolant flowing through the cooling pipes, and receive the conducted coolant from inside the cooling pipes through the second port for further cooling. The following is combined with... Figure 4 Further explanation of the heat dissipation device.

[0052] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a heat dissipation module according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0053] like Figure 4 As shown, the heat dissipation module may include a cooling pump and a heat exchanger. The output port of the cooling pump serves as the output port of the heat dissipation module. The input port of the heat exchanger serves as the input port of the heat dissipation module, and the output port of the heat exchanger is connected to the input port of the cooling pump so that after cooling the thermally conductive coolant, the cooled coolant is supplied to the cooling pump.

[0054] In this embodiment, the two inlets of the cooling pump can be connected to the first opening of the cooling layer and the first port of the cooling pipe, respectively, and the two outlets of the heat exchanger can be connected to the second opening of the cooling layer and the second port of the cooling pipe, respectively. Thus, the cooling pump can simultaneously supply coolant to both the cooling layer and the cooling pipe, and the heat exchanger can receive the heat-conducted coolant from the cooling layer and the cooling pipe, and discharge the heat of the heat-conducted coolant to the external environment, thereby providing the cooled coolant to the cooling pump, forming a closed loop. However, this embodiment is not limited to this. Besides the above-described method of connecting the cooling pipe and cooling layer in parallel with the heat exchanger and cooling pump, the cooling pipe and cooling layer can also be connected in series to achieve the aforementioned closed loop, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0055] Based on this, the above heat dissipation methods mainly target two heat sources: the load circuit (specifically, the power transistor and current sampling resistor in the load circuit) and the load cable. The following section combines... Figure 5 Please provide a detailed explanation.

[0056] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a test system according to another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, the test system of this embodiment may include the signal probes, voltage regulators and signal links of the board under test described above, the controller and load circuit of the test equipment, and the cooling pump and heat exchanger.

[0058] Furthermore, the cooling pump and heat exchanger can be positioned closer to the load circuit relative to the controller, allowing for coolant exchange with the load circuit over a relatively short distance. Simultaneously, the ports of the load circuit, the cooling pump, and the heat exchanger are located on the same side of the test equipment (e.g., Figure 5 (As shown on the right, but not limited to). This port of the load circuit is used to connect the load cable. In this way, the cooling pump and heat exchanger can exchange coolant with the cooling layer over a relatively short distance. Based on this, efficient cooling of the load cable and load circuit can be achieved. It should be noted that, for illustrative purposes, details are not shown on the right. Figure 5 The image shows the cooling pipes inside the test equipment.

[0059] Figure 6A A schematic diagram of a cooling layer according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 , Figure 6B A schematic diagram of a cooling layer according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 2 .

[0060] like Figure 6A and Figure 6BAs shown, the cooling layer is internally constructed with a cavity, and the end of the cooling layer near the test equipment has a first opening and a second opening exposing the cavity. A partition extending along the axial direction of the load cable (e.g., parallel to a first direction X) is provided inside the cooling layer to divide the cavity into a first space and a second space. The side of the first space near the test equipment is connected to the first opening, the side of the first space away from the test equipment is connected to the second space, and the side of the second space near the test equipment is connected to the second opening, so that coolant flows sequentially from the first opening through the first space, the second space, and the second opening. For example, the load cable in this embodiment may include copper wire. Based on this, a multi-strand high-purity copper wire bundle can be encapsulated within a flexible tube (enclosed by the aforementioned cooling layer) with an inner cooling channel to achieve direct heat conduction. In other embodiments of this application, the load cable may also be connected to a load circuit and a voltage regulator via a connector. Based on this, a cooling layer can be provided for the connector in the same design to dissipate heat from the connector. Furthermore, it should be noted that in other embodiments of this application, the load cable can also be made by setting a conductive layer on the outer periphery of the cooling layer. The specific structure of the cooling layer can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0061] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a cooling pipe according to an embodiment of this application is shown. It should be noted that, for illustrative purposes, [the diagram is omitted here]. Figure 7 The relationship between the power tubes and cooling pipes is shown in perspective.

[0062] Furthermore, such as Figure 7 As shown, with the surface of the cooling plate as the projection plane, the orthographic projection of the power transistor and the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe partially overlap to form an overlapping area, and there is also a non-overlapping area of ​​the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe, excluding the overlapping area. In this embodiment, the diameter of the cooling pipe portion below the power transistor is larger than the diameter of the other cooling pipe portions, so that the area of ​​the overlapping region of the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe and the power transistor is larger than the area of ​​the non-overlapping region of the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe. This allows the large area of ​​the cooling pipes in the overlapping region to effectively dissipate heat from the power transistor. It should be understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. In other embodiments of this application, the diameter of the cooling pipe below the power transistor is the same as the diameter of the other cooling pipe portions, but the layout of the cooling pipes below the power transistor is relatively denser than that of the other cooling pipe portions, so that the overlapping area of ​​the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe and the power transistor is larger than the area of ​​the non-overlapping region of the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe. This allows the large area of ​​the cooling pipes in the overlapping region to effectively dissipate heat from the power transistor.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after designing the load circuit, corresponding cooling channels can be designed individually for different power transistors in the load circuit. For example, during the load test, the conduction time of each of the multiple power transistors can be determined. For a power transistor with a longer conduction time, the diameter of the cooling channel at the orthographic projection of that power transistor can be designed to be longer than other parts. That is, the conduction time of the power transistor is positively correlated with the diameter of the cooling channel overlapping the orthographic projection of that power transistor. In this way, when the controller performs the load test automatically, heat dissipation can be targeted at the power transistors with relatively higher heat generation, so as to reduce the interference of the generated heat energy on the accuracy of the load test, thereby at least partially improving the accuracy of the load test.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the controller can also control the heat dissipation module to adjust the flow rate of coolant in at least one of the cooling pipes or cooling layers of the test equipment when the temperature collected by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature threshold, thereby reducing the temperature of at least one of the load circuits or load cables. In this way, the controller can automatically regulate the test environment temperature by intelligently adjusting the pump speed of the cooling pump. In addition, the test equipment can also be designed with detection elements such as flow meters to detect parameters such as the flow rate of the coolant, which will not be elaborated here.

[0065] Based on this, the heat dissipation module of this application, which combines plate cooling and liquid cooling, has a better heat load capacity than the air cooling system in some other solutions. This allows the test equipment of this application to operate stably for a long time at higher power, reduces test interruptions or equipment failures caused by overheating, and extends the equipment life.

[0066] Based on the above testing system, this application also provides a testing method, which is described below in conjunction with... Figure 8 Please provide an explanation.

[0067] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a test method according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0068] like Figure 8 As shown, the testing method of this embodiment may include operations S810 to S840.

[0069] When operating S810, start the test device.

[0070] When operating the S820, start the cooling system.

[0071] When operating the S830, the host computer sends the address of the voltage regulator to the test equipment.

[0072] When operating the S840, configure the test functions and test conditions of the test equipment so that the test equipment can perform tensile tests.

[0073] For example, the voltage regulator can be connected to the test equipment, ensuring that the load cable, clock cable, data cable, and ground signal cable are correctly and securely connected. Then, the test equipment can be started, allowing the controller to perform a self-test. Afterward, the voltage regulator of the board under test can be controlled via a host computer program. Next, the cooling system can be activated to ensure normal coolant circulation, with no errors reported in the host computer software. This completes the preparation work before the load test.

[0074] Furthermore, during the actual testing phase, the host computer program can scan the address of the regulator under test (DUT) in the signal link of the board under test and send that address to the controller. Additionally, the host computer can select the test function (e.g., constant current test or constant voltage test) and input the test conditions, after which a load test can be performed via the controller.

[0075] Based on this, the testing equipment in this embodiment incorporates a host computer for auxiliary testing. The system can automatically select and execute test configurations, achieving full automation from data acquisition and processing to analysis. This reduces manual operation, improves testing efficiency and consistency, and minimizes human error. Furthermore, the host computer software can systematically integrate and coordinate the voltage acquisition, load control, and heat dissipation management processes. This achieves full automation, reduces manual operation, improves testing efficiency, and increases the accuracy and reliability of test results.

[0076] Furthermore, by replacing the load circuits and adapter software of the test equipment in the embodiments of this application, the test equipment can also complete high-voltage, low-current load tests, as well as load tests under more different test conditions, and can become a general-purpose high-power, high-precision automated test platform.

[0077] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutively indicated blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in a block diagram or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram or flowchart, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or operation, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments of this application can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this application. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments of this application can be combined and / or combined in various ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of this application. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this application.

[0079] The embodiments of this application have been described above. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. Without departing from the scope of this application, those skilled in the art can make various substitutions and modifications, all of which should fall within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A testing system, characterized in that, The testing system includes: The board under test includes a signal probe, a voltage regulator to be tested, and a signal link connecting the signal probe and the voltage regulator; Test equipment, including: A load circuit is connected to the voltage regulator via a load cable; wherein the voltage drop across the two ends of the load cable is greater than the voltage drop across the two ends of the signal link, and a cooling layer surrounds the outer periphery of the load cable; A controller, connected to the signal probe and the load circuit, is configured to: acquire the output parameter signal of the voltage regulator via the signal link; and, based on the output parameter signal, control the load circuit to output a corresponding test signal via the load cable to perform a load test on the voltage regulator; wherein the output parameter signal is used to indicate at least one of the output voltage or output current of the voltage regulator. The interior of the cooling layer is configured to have a cavity, and the end of the cooling layer near the test equipment has a first opening and a second opening that expose the cavity; The testing equipment further includes: a heat dissipation module, the output port of which is connected to a first opening of the cooling layer, and the input port of which is connected to a second opening of the cooling layer; the heat dissipation module is used to: input coolant into the interior of the cooling layer through the first opening so that the heat of the load cable is conducted to the coolant flowing through the interior of the cooling layer; and receive the heat-conducted coolant from the interior of the cooling layer through the second opening and cool the heat-conducted coolant. The cooling layer has an internal partition extending axially along the load cable to divide the cavity into a first space and a second space. The side of the first space closest to the test equipment is connected to the first opening, the side of the first space furthest from the test equipment is connected to the second space, and the side of the second space closest to the test equipment is connected to the second opening, so that the coolant flows sequentially from the first opening through the first space, the second space, and the second opening.

2. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The testing equipment also includes a cooling plate, the surface of which is used to support the load circuit, the load circuit including a power transistor, and a cooling pipe is provided inside the cooling plate. The first port of the cooling pipe is connected to the output port of the heat dissipation module, and the second port of the cooling pipe is connected to the input port of the heat dissipation module. Wherein, with the surface of the cooling plate as the projection plane, the orthographic projection of the power tube partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe; the area of ​​the overlapping region of the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe and the orthographic projection of the power tube is larger than the area of ​​the non-overlapping region of the orthographic projection of the cooling pipe other than the overlapping region.

3. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat dissipation module includes: A cooling pump, the output port of which is used as the output port of the heat dissipation module; A heat exchanger, the input port of which is used as the input port of the heat dissipation module, and the output port of which is connected to the input port of the cooling pump, for providing cooled coolant to the cooling pump after cooling the heat-conducting coolant; The load circuit port, the cooling pump, and the heat exchanger are located on the same side of the test equipment; the load circuit port is used to connect the load cable.

4. The testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The testing system also includes a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of at least one of the load circuit or the load cable; The controller is connected to the temperature sensor and is also configured to control the heat dissipation module to adjust the flow rate of coolant in at least one of the cooling pipes or cooling layers of the test equipment when the temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature threshold, so as to reduce the temperature of at least one of the load circuits or the load cables.

5. The testing system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller is also used for: The temperature sensor receives temperatures at multiple times, and the temperature rise of at least one of the load circuit or the load cable is determined based on the temperatures at multiple times. Based on the temperature rise, determine the corresponding error compensation value; The error compensation value is used to compensate for at least one of the output voltage or the output current.

6. The testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The controller is also used for: When the output parameter signal indicates the output voltage of the voltage regulator, a voltage control signal is generated based on the voltage difference between the output voltage and a predetermined voltage, and the test signal of the load circuit is controlled based on the voltage control signal. When the output parameter signal indicates the output current of the voltage regulator, a current control signal is generated based on the current difference between the output current and a predetermined current, and the test signal of the load circuit is controlled based on the current control signal.

7. The testing system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The load cable includes a positive load line and a negative load line, and the load circuit includes a plurality of power transistors connected in parallel between the positive load line and the negative load line. The controller is also used to sequentially control the conduction state of at least one of the plurality of power transistors, so as to adjust the test signal by controlling the current flowing through the positive load line and the negative load line to change linearly over time.

8. The testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The signal link is a signal trace that supports the integrated circuit bus protocol; the controller is connected to the signal probe via a clock cable, a data cable, and a ground signal cable to connect to the signal link; The voltage drop across the two ends of the clock cable, the data cable, and the ground signal cable is less than the voltage drop across the two ends of the load cable.

9. The testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The testing system also includes a host computer for obtaining the address of the voltage regulator and sending the address to the controller, so that the controller selects the output parameter signal from the signal link from multiple links according to the address, and controls the load circuit to perform the load test according to the output parameter signal.

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