Circuit configuration and automatic test equipment for differential measurement

Abstract

An exemplary circuit configuration includes a first circuit for providing a low signal, a second circuit for providing a high signal, the high signal having a greater voltage magnitude than the low signal, and a differential amplifier configured to receive the low signal from the first circuit and the high signal from the second circuit. The differential amplifier is for generating an output voltage based on the high signal and the low signal. The exemplary circuit configuration includes a first measurement circuit for measuring the output voltage, a second measurement circuit for measuring the low signal in the first circuit, and processing logic for determining a differential measurement value based on the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, and a calibration value obtained for the circuit configuration.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present specification relates generally to an exemplary process for calibrating differential measurement circuitry. [Background technology]

[0002] An exemplary differential measurement circuit generates an output voltage that is based on the difference between two input signals. An ideal differential measurement circuit would change its output in response only to changes in the difference between the two input signals. Thus, for example, if the voltages of the two input signals increase or decrease by equal amounts, the output voltage of an ideal differential measurement would not change. However, if one of the input signals changes and the other does not, or if the two input signals change in different ways, the output voltage of an ideal differential measurement circuit would change. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] An exemplary circuit configuration includes a first circuit for providing a low signal, a second circuit for providing a high signal, the high signal having a greater voltage magnitude than the low signal, and a differential amplifier configured to receive the low signal from the first circuit and the high signal from the second circuit. The differential amplifier is for generating an output voltage based on the high signal and the low signal. The exemplary circuit configuration includes a first measurement circuit for measuring the output voltage, a second measurement circuit for measuring the low signal in the first circuit, and processing logic for determining a differential measurement based on the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, and a calibration value obtained for the circuit configuration. The exemplary circuit configuration may include one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

[0004] The processing logic may be configured to determine a difference measurement (hs-ls) such that:

number

[0005] The first measurement circuit may include a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and the second measurement circuit may include a second ADC, where the second ADC may have a lower accuracy than a final measurement specification of the circuit configuration. The first measurement circuit may include the first ADC, and the second measurement circuit may include a second ADC, where the first ADC may be more accurate than the second ADC.

[0006] In the previous equation, GH may be a positive value, GL may be a negative value different from GH, and the absolute value of GH may differ from the absolute value of GL by 10% or less. The absolute value of GH may differ from the absolute value of GL by 5% or less. The absolute value of ls(m) may be 200mV or less. GH may be a value determined by connecting the first circuit to electrical ground and the second circuit to a known voltage. GH+GL may be a value that can be determined by connecting the first circuit and the second circuit together and applying a known voltage to the first circuit and the second circuit connected together. GH and GL may be determined separately from each other.

[0007] The differential amplifier may include resistors on the feedback and feedforward paths. The output voltage may be based, at least in part, on the values ​​of the resistors. The processing logic may include one or more microprocessors. The processing logic may include programmable logic. The circuitry may be part of a ground re-referencing circuit.

[0008] An exemplary automatic test equipment (ATE) includes a circuit board for connecting to a device under test (DUT), the DUT being connected to a first electrical reference on the circuit board, and test circuitry connected to a second electrical reference, the second electrical reference being at a different voltage than the first electrical reference causing a pair of signals output from the DUT to the test circuitry to vary in voltage value while maintaining a constant voltage difference. The test circuitry may include a first circuit for providing a low signal in the pair of signals, a second circuit for providing a high signal in the pair of signals, the high signal having a greater voltage magnitude than the low signal, and a differential amplifier configured to receive the low signal from the first circuit and the high signal from the second circuit. The differential amplifier may be for generating an output voltage based on a difference between the high signal and the low signal. The test circuitry may also include a first measurement circuit for measuring the output voltage, a second measurement circuit for measuring a low signal in the first circuit, and processing logic for determining a differential measurement based on the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, and a calibration value obtained for the test circuitry. An exemplary ATE may include one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

[0009] An exemplary ATE may include test equipment for performing one or more tests on the DUT. The test circuitry may be part of the test equipment. The first electrical reference may be a first electrical ground of the DUT and the second electrical reference may be a second electrical ground of the test circuitry.

[0010] The processing logic may be configured to determine a difference measurement (hs-ls) such that:

number

[0011] The first measurement circuit may include a first ADC and the second measurement circuit may include a second ADC, where the second ADC may have a lower accuracy than a final measurement specification of the test circuitry. The first measurement circuit may include a first ADC and the second measurement circuit may include a second ADC, where the first ADC may be more accurate than the second ADC.

[0012] In the previous formula, GH can be a positive value and GL can be a negative value different from GH. The difference between the absolute values ​​of GH and GL can be 5% or less.

[0013] Any two or more of the features described herein, including in this Summary section, may be combined to form an embodiment not specifically described herein.

[0014] The systems and techniques described herein, or portions thereof, may be implemented using or controlled by a computer program product stored on one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media and including instructions executable on one or more processing devices to control (e.g., coordinate) the operations described herein. The systems and techniques described herein, or portions thereof, may be implemented as apparatus, methods, or electronic systems, which may include one or more processing devices and memories that store executable instructions for performing various operations.

[0015] The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating an exemplary differential measurement circuit configuration. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of an example automatic test equipment including differential measurement circuitry. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Like reference numbers in the different drawings indicate like elements.

[0018] An exemplary differential measurement circuit generates an output voltage that is based on the difference between two input signals. For example, a differential gain is applied to the difference between the two input signals to generate the output voltage. Actual differential measurement circuitry may behave differently than the ideal differential measurement circuitry described above. For example, actual differential measurement circuitry may generate different output voltages even when the voltages of the two input signals increase or decrease by equal amounts. This behavior may be due to errors introduced into the measurement process by the differential amplifier used to generate the output voltage. Thus, using the circuitry and processes described herein, a calibration value is generated that can be used to at least partially correct for some or all of the errors introduced by the differential amplifier.

[0019] In this regard, the exemplary circuit configuration described herein may include a differential measurement circuit for measuring the difference between two signals. This circuit configuration may be used in a test system to determine whether a device under test (DUT) has passed or failed a test. In one embodiment, the circuit configuration includes a circuit for providing two signals. In this case, the circuit for providing two signals includes a first circuit for providing a low signal (LS) and a second circuit for providing a high signal (HS). The high signal has a higher voltage magnitude than the low signal. The differential amplifier is configured to receive the low signal from the first circuit and the high signal from the second circuit and generate an output voltage based on the high signal and the low signal. In this example, the amplification of the high signal is different from the amplification of the low signal, which results in an error in the output voltage as described above.

[0020] The first measurement circuit is configured to measure an output voltage and the second measurement circuit is configured to measure a low signal in the first circuit. Processing logic, such as a microprocessor or one or more other suitable processing devices, is configured to determine a differential measurement based on the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, and a calibration value obtained for the circuit configuration. The differential measurement may be based on or may represent the difference between the high and low signals. The calibration value may be used to correct for errors introduced into the measurement process by the differential amplifier.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary differential measurement circuit configuration 10 includes an exemplary differential amplifier 20. The differential amplifier includes a first input circuit 12 in a path with a resistor 13 to provide a low signal (LS) and a second input circuit 14 in a path with a resistor 15 to provide a high signal (LS). In some embodiments, the first input circuit and the second input circuit can be just wires. In some embodiments, the first input circuit and the second input circuit can include passive electronic devices, active electronic devices, or a combination of passive and active electronic devices. Resistor 13 has a resistance value R1 and resistor 15 has a resistance value R2. "High" and "low" do not require or suggest any specific numerical values. In this example, a high signal has a larger voltage magnitude than a low signal. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 18 is connected to the first input circuit 12 and configured to measure the LS on the first input circuit. An amplifier 19, such as an operational amplifier, is configured to receive the HS and LS and generate an output voltage (Vo) based on the difference between the HS and the LS. The ADC 22 is connected at the output of the differential amplifier 20 along a circuit path 24 and is configured to measure the output voltage Vo. In the differential amplifier 20, a resistor 25 connects the circuit path 24 to the low signal input circuit 12 along a feedback path 27. A resistor 29 connects the high signal input circuit 14 to the ADC 22 along a feed-forward path 30. The resistance values ​​of the resistors 25 and 29 are expressed as products K1*R1 and K2*R2, respectively, where K1 and K2 are constants that represent or result in the low side amplification and high side amplification of the differential amplifier 20, respectively. The processing logic 32, which may be implemented using any suitable circuit configuration or processing device as described herein, uses the calibration value to correct errors in the output voltage Vo. For example, the processing logic may use the calibration value to determine a differential voltage (hs-ls) according to the following equation (1). Arrows 35 conceptually represent the transfer of values ​​measured by the ADCs 18 and 22.

[0022] In this regard, if K1 ≠ K2, the error of the differential amplifier 20 may be introduced into the output voltage. The absolute values ​​of K1 and K2 may differ, but in some implementations, the absolute values ​​of K1 and K2 are close. For example, K1 and K2 may be within 10% of each other, within 5% of each other, within 3% of each other, or within 1% of each other. Using the circuit configurations and processes described herein, a differential measurement, i.e., (hs-ls), may be determined, where the error introduced into the measurement process by the differential amplifier is reduced, minimized, or eliminated. In other words, (hs-ls) may be the difference between the high signal (HS) and the low signal (LS) with the error introduced by the differential amplifier of FIG. 1 or other circuit configuration reduced, minimized, or eliminated. In one example, this differential voltage (hs-ls) is expressed as follows:

number

[0023] In equation (1), the differential voltage (hs-ls) is expressed in terms of two measurements: the output voltage Vo measured by ADC 22 and ls(m) measured by ADC 18. ls(m) is a decimal fraction

number

number

number

[0024] In some embodiments, ADC 18 may be less accurate than the final measurement specification of circuit configuration 10. In one example, ADC 22 may be more accurate than ADC 18. As a result, ADC 18 may be less expensive than ADC 22. In some embodiments, the absolute value of ls(m) (the value measured by ADC 18) is relatively low. For example, ls(m) may be 500 mV (millivolts) or less, 400 mV or less, 300 mV or less, 200 mV or less, or 100 mV or less. In some embodiments, the low voltage LS is 50% of the high voltage HS, the low voltage LS is 40% of the high voltage HS, the low voltage LS is 30% of the high voltage HS, the low voltage LS is 20% of the high voltage HS, or the low voltage LS is 10% of the high voltage HS.

[0025] In some embodiments, the calibration values ​​are gains or "gain coefficients" GH and GL. In some embodiments, the calibration values ​​are based on those gains. The calibration values ​​may be applied according to equation (1) to calibrate the errors introduced by the differential amplifier. For example, the processing logic may use the calibration coefficients to determine the differential voltage (hs-ls) using the ADCs 18 and 22 measurements of ls(m) and Vo, and equation (1) above. The following operations may be performed to obtain the gains GH and GL of equation (1):

[0026] In a first exemplary process for obtaining GH, the first input circuit 12 is connected to electrical ground to provide a ground signal at LS, the second input circuit 14 is connected to a known voltage level to provide a known voltage signal at HS, and ADC 22 is used to measure Vo. Vo here is referred to as Vo(hs) because it is based only on the value of the high signal. The output voltage Vo(hs) is equal to HS*GH, where GH is the gain from the second input circuit 14 to the ADC 22. GH can be determined by Vo(hs) / HS because the voltage signal HS is known and the output voltage Vo(hs) is known.

[0027] In a first exemplary process for obtaining GL, the second input circuit 14 is connected to electrical ground to provide a ground signal at HS, the first input circuit 12 is connected to a known voltage level to provide a known voltage signal at LS, and Vo is measured using ADC 22. Vo here is referred to as Vo(ls) because it is based only on the value of the low signal. The output voltage Vo(ls) is equal to LS*GL, where GL is the gain from the first input circuit 12 to path 24. GL can be determined by Vo(ls) / LS, because the output voltage Vo(ls) is known and the voltage signal LS is known and can be measured by ADC 18. In this example, LS is a negative value.

[0028] Alternatively, in a second exemplary process, the following operations may be performed to obtain gain values ​​of GH and GH+GL. Once GH and GH+GL are known, the value of GL can be determined by subtracting GH from GH+GL. These operations may be used, for example, when it is difficult or impossible to connect to the first input circuit 12 to generate a known voltage at LS.

[0029] In a second exemplary process for obtaining GH, the first input circuit 12 is connected to electrical ground and the second input circuit 14 is connected to a known voltage level to provide a ground signal at LS. Thus, the output voltage Vo(hs) is equal to HS*GH, where GH is the gain from the second input circuit 14 to the ADC 22. GH can be determined because the voltage signal at HS is known and the output voltage Vo(hs) is known. That is, GH can be determined by Vo(hs) / HS because the voltage signal at HS is known and the output voltage Vo(hs) is known.

[0030] The second exemplary process obtains a unique value for GH+GL. That is, a single value for GH+GL is obtained, and GL is not obtained separately. To obtain GH+GL, the first input circuit 12 and the second circuit input 14 are connected together, e.g., HS is electrically shorted with LS. The resulting shorted pair is connected to a known voltage level V(hl) that can be measured by the ADC 18. In this example, the output voltage Vo is a function of V(hl) and is represented as Vo(hl). Vo(hl) is determined as follows: Vo(hl)=V(hl)*GHL, where GHL is the gain from the electrically shorted HS-LS connection to the ADC 22. GHL can be determined because V(hl) is known and the output voltage Vo(hl) is known. That is, GHL is defined as Vo(hl) / V(hl).

[0031] Due to linearity, the contributions of the electrically shorted HS and LS can be expressed as a superposition of HS and LS with their respective gains as follows: (2) V(hl)*GHL=V(hl)*GH+V(hl)*GL To obtain GL, divide both sides of equation (2) by V(hl) to get: GHL=GH+GL GL=GHL-GH The output voltage Vo can be expressed as follows: Vo=hs*GH+ls(m)*GL =hs*GH+ls(m)(GHL-GH) =hs*GH-ls(m)*GH+ls*GHL (3) = (hs-ls)GH+ls(m)(GHL) Solving equation (3) for (HS-LS) gives:

number

number

[0032] Exemplary differential measurement circuits of the type described herein can be used in a ground re-referencing circuit. The ground re-referencing circuit can be included in test circuitry that is part of an automatic test equipment (ATE). In an exemplary ATE, a circuit board, such as a device interface board (DIB), is connected to a DUT. The DUT is connected to a first electrical reference, e.g., a first electrical ground ("ground") on the DIB. The test circuitry, which can be included in the test equipment, is connected to a second electrical reference, e.g., a second electrical ground ("ground"). The second ground is at a different voltage than the first ground, which causes a pair of signals output from the DUT to the test circuitry to vary in voltage value even when the pair of signals maintain a constant voltage difference. For example, the first and second electrical grounds can have a voltage difference on the order of millivolts. In one example, the first and second electrical grounds can have a difference of 200 mV.

[0033] In FIG. 2, the exemplary ATE 40 includes a DIB 42 holding a DUT 44 connected to a first ground 45. The exemplary ATE 40 also includes test equipment 46 including test circuitry 47, such as a parametric measurement unit (PMU) or pin electronics (PE), connected to a second ground 49 that is a different voltage value than the first ground 45. The test circuitry 47 includes differential measurement circuitry that may be of the type shown in FIG. 1. The differential measurement circuitry includes a differential amplifier 50 of the type described herein. A high signal HS 51 and a low signal 52 are sent from the DUT 44 to the test circuitry 47. These signals may be responsive to test signals output by the test circuitry 47 or may be independent of the test signals output by the test circuitry 47. The differential amplifier 50 compares the high signal HS 51 and the low signal 52 to generate an output voltage that may indicate whether the DUT 44 passed or failed the test, or may be used for further processing to determine whether the DUT 44 passed or failed the test.

[0034] Differences in voltage levels between the first ground 45 and the second ground 49 cause errors of the type described herein. For example, the differential amplifier 50 may generate different output voltages (Vo) when the voltages of the high and low signals HS 51 and 52 sent from the DUT 44 increase or decrease by equal amounts. This may occur, for example, due to voltages resulting from current loops generated by the different voltage levels of the grounds 45 and 49. Using the processes described herein, calibration values ​​to correct for these errors may be determined, the calibration values ​​may be stored in computer memory, and the calibration values ​​may be used during operation of the circuit to generate corrected output voltages.

[0035] Testing performed using the exemplary systems described herein may be implemented using hardware or a combination of hardware and software. For example, a system similar to that described herein may include various controllers and / or processing devices located at various locations within the system to control the operation of the automated elements. A central computer may coordinate the operation among the various controllers or processing devices. The central computer, controllers, and processing devices may execute various software routines to provide control and coordination of the various automated elements.

[0036] The processes described herein may be implemented by a system or any other suitable computing device. The processes may be controlled, at least in part, using one or more computer program products, e.g., one or more computer programs tangibly embodied in one or more information carriers, such as one or more non-transitory machine-readable media, for execution by or to control the operation of one or more data processing devices, e.g., programmable processors, a computer, multiple computers, and / or programmable logic components, etc.

[0037] A computer program may be written in any type of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or module, or as a component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a network.

[0038] Actions associated with performing all or a portion of the tests may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the functions described herein. All or a portion of the tests may be performed using special purpose logic circuitry, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and / or application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0039] Processors suitable for executing computer programs include, by way of example, both general purpose and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor receives instructions and data from a read-only or random access memory, or both. Elements of a computer (including a server) include one or more processors for executing instructions, and one or more storage devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer includes one or more machine-readable storage media, such as mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks, or is operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both. Machine-readable storage media suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile storage, including, by way of example, semiconductor storage devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash storage devices, magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0040] As used herein, an "electrical connection" may include a direct physical connection or an indirect connection in which electrical signals flow between the connected components, including intervening components. Any "connection," including electrical circuitry referred to herein in which electrical signals flow, is an electrical connection, and not necessarily a direct physical connection, unless otherwise specified, regardless of whether the word "electrical" is used to modify the "connection."

[0041] Elements of different implementations described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically described above. Elements may be omitted from the structures described herein without adversely affecting operation. Furthermore, various separate elements may be combined into one or more individual elements to perform the functions described herein.

Claims

1. A circuit configuration comprising: a first circuit for providing a low signal; a second circuit for providing a high signal, the high signal having a greater voltage magnitude than the low signal; a differential amplifier configured to receive the low signal from the first circuit and the high signal from the second circuit, the differential amplifier for generating an output voltage based on the high signal and the low signal; a first measurement circuit for measuring the output voltage; a second measurement circuit for measuring the low signal in the first circuit; processing logic for determining a difference measurement based on the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, and a calibration value obtained for the circuit configuration; A circuit configuration including:

2. The processing logic is configured to determine the difference measure (hs-ls) as follows: [0010] 2. The circuit configuration of claim 1, wherein Vo is the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, Is(m) is the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, GH and GL are the calibration values, and Ofs is an offset value generated when the low signal and the high signal are at or near zero volts (0V).

3. 2. The circuit configuration of claim 1, wherein the first measurement circuit includes a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the second measurement circuit includes a second ADC, the second ADC having a lower accuracy than a final measurement specification of the circuit configuration.

4. 2. The circuit configuration of claim 1, wherein the first measurement circuit includes a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the second measurement circuit includes a second ADC, the first ADC being more accurate than the second ADC.

5. 3. The circuit configuration according to claim 2, wherein GH is a positive value, GL is a negative value different from GH, and a difference between the absolute values ​​of GH and GL is 10% or less of GH.

6. 3. The circuit configuration according to claim 2, wherein GH is a positive value, GL is a negative value different from GH, and a difference between the absolute values ​​of GH and GL is 5% or less of GH.

7. 3. The circuit configuration of claim 2, wherein the absolute value of ls(m) is less than or equal to 200 mV.

8. 3. The circuit arrangement of claim 2, wherein GH is a value determined by connecting the first circuit to electrical ground and the second circuit to a known voltage.

9. 3. The circuit configuration of claim 2, wherein GH+GL is a value determined by connecting the first circuit and the second circuit together and applying a known voltage to the first circuit and the second circuit connected together.

10. 3. The circuit arrangement of claim 2, wherein GH and GL are determined separately from each other.

11. 2. The circuit arrangement of claim 1, wherein the differential amplifier includes resistors in a feedback path and a feedforward path, and the output voltage is based at least in part on values ​​of the resistors.

12. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the processing logic comprises one or more microprocessors.

13. The circuit arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the processing logic comprises programmable logic.

14. 1. An automatic test equipment (ATE), comprising: a circuit board for connecting to a device under test (DUT), the DUT being connected to a first electrical reference on the circuit board; a test circuitry connected to a second electrical reference, the second electrical reference being at a different voltage than the first electrical reference such that a pair of signals output from the DUT to the test circuitry vary in voltage value while maintaining a constant voltage difference; Including, The test circuit configuration includes: a first circuit for providing a lower signal in the pair of signals; a second circuit for providing a high signal in the pair of signals, the high signal having a greater voltage magnitude than the low signal; a differential amplifier configured to receive the low signal from the first circuit and the high signal from the second circuit, the differential amplifier for generating an output voltage based on a difference between the high signal and the low signal; a first measurement circuit for measuring the output voltage; a second measurement circuit for measuring the low signal in the first circuit; processing logic for determining a difference measurement based on the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, and a calibration value obtained for the test circuitry; and Automatic test equipment (ATE).

15. 15. The ATE of claim 14, further comprising test equipment for performing one or more tests on the DUT, the test circuitry being part of the test equipment.

16. 16. The ATE of claim 15, wherein the first electrical reference is a first electrical ground of the DUT and the second electrical reference is a second electrical ground of the test circuitry.

17. The processing logic is configured to determine the difference measure (hs-ls) as follows: [0025] 15. The ATE of claim 14, wherein Vo is the output voltage measured by the first measurement circuit, ls(m) is the low signal measured by the second measurement circuit, GH and GL are calibration values, and Ofs is an offset value generated when the low and high signals are at or near zero volts (0V).

18. 20. The ATE of claim 17, wherein the first measurement circuitry includes a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the second measurement circuitry includes a second ADC, the second ADC having a lower accuracy than a final measurement specification of the test circuitry.

19. 20. The ATE of claim 17, wherein the first measurement circuit includes a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the second measurement circuit includes a second ADC, the first ADC being more accurate than the second ADC.

20. 18. The ATE of claim 17, wherein GH is a positive value, GL is a negative value different from GH, and the difference between the absolute value of GH and the absolute value of GL is 5% or less of GH.

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