Thermal Testing System With Carrier Preconditioning and Low-Loss Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal testing systems face challenges in efficiently and accurately testing devices at varying temperatures, particularly in maintaining precise temperature control and minimizing signal loss during system-level thermal testing.
Innovation Solution
A test system comprising an enclosure with a thermal controller, gantry system, and test instrument, which includes a conveyor, rollers, and interlocks to facilitate temperature-controlled movement and direct communication with the device under test, reducing signal loss through minimized interconnects and proximity of test instruments to the test site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the test instrument is placed far from the test site to accommodate more components, then the device complexity is reduced, but signal loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The test system is divided into distinct functional modules: a thermal testing zone with temperature control, a separate testing zone with test instruments, and a transition rack for carrier positioning. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently - the thermal zone can maintain precise temperature control while test instruments are positioned at optimal distances for signal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The transition rack serves as an intermediary component between the thermal controller and the test site. It provides thermal communication to maintain temperature control while serving as a positioning platform for carriers, enabling the test instrument to be positioned at an optimal distance from the test site without compromising thermal control effectiveness.
2Loss of energy
If the test channel includes multiple interconnects to route signals, then the device complexity is reduced, but signal insertion loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The test channel is extracted from the complex routing infrastructure and implemented as a direct connection between the test instrument and the test site. By removing unnecessary intermediate interconnects and routing components, the signal path is simplified to minimize insertion loss while maintaining functional connectivity.
3Productivity
If the carrier is moved frequently between test sites and transition rack, then the productivity is improved, but the time required for temperature stabilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transition rack is designed to provide thermal communication with the thermal controller before the carrier reaches the test site. This preliminary thermal conditioning ensures that the carrier is already at or near the required test temperature when it arrives at the test site, minimizing the temperature stabilization time during actual testing and enabling faster throughput.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise temperature control and reduced signal loss, allowing for effective system-level thermal testing of devices at multiple temperatures with improved signal fidelity.
Implementation Method 1
the transition rack and the carrier mated to the slots are in thermal communication with a thermal controller, and where the thermal controller is for controlling a temperature of the DUT
Implementation Method 2
The enclosure is configured to complement temperature control of the carrier and the DUT contained therein by the thermal controller
Data Source
AI summary
An example test system includes a test site configured to mate to a carrier, where the carrier contains a device under test (DUT) to be tested at the test site; a transition rack that includes slots, where a slot is configured to mate to the carrier, where the transition rack and the carrier mated to the slots are in thermal communication with a thermal controller, and where the thermal controller is for controlling a temperature of the DUT; and a gantry system to move the carrier between the transition rack and the test site. An enclosure contains the test site, the transition rack, and the gantry system. The enclosure is configured to complement temperature control of the carrier and the DUT contained therein by the thermal controller. A test instrument is configured to communicate with the DUT in the carrier in the test site to test the DUT.