Test Protocol Manager for Multi-Site Chip Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing testing methodologies for complex system-on-chip (SoC) designs face challenges in efficiently managing the computational resources and bandwidth requirements when testing multiple devices in parallel, leading to increased costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A massive multi-site (MMS) testing architecture that includes a test protocol manager on each device under test, which receives test stimulus, generates test comparisons, and stores diagnostic data, reducing the computational burden on automated test equipment (ATE) and minimizing bandwidth requirements by performing comparisons and storing data locally before transmitting results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple devices are tested in parallel using traditional ATE methodologies, then productivity increases, but computational resource requirements and bandwidth demands increase proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the testing system into autonomous device-level test protocol managers that independently handle test stimulus generation, response capture, and result comparison. Each device under test operates as an independent testing unit, eliminating the need for centralized ATE computational resources to scale with the number of devices tested in parallel.
Solution Approach 2:
Each device under test performs self-testing through its embedded test protocol manager, which autonomously generates test stimuli, captures responses, compares results against expected values, and stores diagnostic data. This self-service capability allows multiple devices to be tested in parallel without proportionally increasing external ATE computational resources.
2Productivity
If multiple devices are tested in parallel, then productivity increases, but bandwidth requirements between ATE and devices increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the computationally intensive functions of test stimulus generation, response capture, and result comparison from the external ATE and embeds them directly into each device under test. This extraction eliminates the need for high-bandwidth communication channels between ATE and multiple devices, as each device operates autonomously with minimal external communication.
3Ease of operation
If traditional testing architecture is used with centralized ATE control, then ease of operation is maintained, but device complexity and testing costs increase with parallel testing
Solution Approach 1:
The test protocol manager embedded in each device under test serves multiple functions: generating test stimuli, capturing responses, comparing results, storing diagnostic data, and managing communication with ATE. This multi-functional integration simplifies the overall testing architecture by eliminating the need for complex centralized control mechanisms that would be required to coordinate multiple devices tested in parallel.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a massive multi-site (MMS) testing architecture. The MMS architecture includes a MMS interface on each of a plurality of devices under test. The MMS interface includes a test protocol manager that may receive test stimulus and send the test stimulus to cores of the device under test. The test protocol manager may receive test responses from cores of the device under test and generate test comparisons based on comparisons between the test responses and expected responses. The test protocol manager may store the test comparisons on the device under test and communicate the stored test comparisons to automated test equipment (ATE) upon being queried by the ATE. The device under test may send the test comparisons to the ATE over a low-bandwidth communication.