ATE Timing Calibration via Incident Edge Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic test equipment (ATE) calibration techniques, such as time domain reflectometry (TDR), face significant calibration errors due to signal degradation and require high-bandwidth signal paths, which is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine an offset between a reference timing event and a channel event using specific time measurements, allowing for calibration of ATE channels without calculating signal path length, thereby eliminating the need for high-bandwidth connections like relays, and utilizing a pin-diode matrix to connect channels to a reference timing source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If TDR calibration technique is used to measure signal path length, then timing accuracy can be improved, but significant calibration errors occur due to signal degradation from the reflected edge traveling twice through the signal path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful reflection component from the calibration process. Instead of measuring the reflected edge that travels twice through the signal path (causing degradation), the system measures only the incident edge that travels once, eliminating the source of calibration error while maintaining timing accuracy measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional TDR approach by measuring the incident edge rather than the reflected edge. This inversion allows timing accuracy to be determined without the signal degradation that occurs when the reflected edge travels back through the signal path, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and reliability.
2Measurement precision
If high-bandwidth signal paths such as relays are used to counteract signal degradation in TDR, then timing accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for high-bandwidth relays by extracting only the incident edge measurement from the calibration process. Since the incident edge has not undergone degradation from traveling back through the signal path, high-bandwidth signal paths and complex relay systems are no longer necessary, reducing device complexity while maintaining timing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, complex high-bandwidth relay systems with simpler, lower-cost signal paths. By measuring only the incident edge that does not suffer from reflection degradation, the system can use less sophisticated signal paths that are cheaper and simpler while still achieving the required timing accuracy for high-speed ATE operation.
3Measurement precision
If external calibration tools such as robots or cal-fixtures are used, then timing accuracy can be improved, but ease of operation and calibration complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the ATE to perform self-calibration by measuring the incident edge timing internally. The system uses its own communication channels to transmit the calibration signal and measure the incident edge, eliminating the need for external calibration tools like robots or cal-fixtures. This self-service approach maintains timing accuracy while significantly improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the incident edge itself as an intermediary measurement reference. By measuring the timing of the incident edge as it enters the signal path, the system creates an internal reference point that eliminates the need for external calibration tools, simplifying the calibration process while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Calibrating automatic test equipment (ATE) includes determining an offset between a reference timing event and a channel event, where the channel event is associated with a communication channel of the ATE, and adjusting signal transmission over the communication channel based on the offset. Determining the offset may include obtaining a first time at which a reference timing signal is received at a device associated with a reference timing source, obtaining a second time at which the reference timing signal is received at a device associated with the communication channel, obtaining a third time at which a channel signal is received at the device associated with the communication channel, obtaining a fourth time at which the channel signal is received at the device associated with the reference timing source, and calculating the offset using the first time, the second time, the third time, and the fourth time.