Two modules and a test head enhance SoC test platform

“Semiconductor content in automobiles is increasing rapidly as ICs are becoming integral in everything from powertrains and infotainment systems to ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) and on-board safety features,” said Masayuki Suzuki, executive vice president of the T2000 Business Unit, ATE Business Group at Advantest Corporation. “To reach their market potential, automotive SoCs require high-performance, cost-efficient test solutions.”

The RND520 test head has 52 slots, providing the highest pin count available with Advantest’s direct-dock testing option.

As a member of the HIFIX (high-fidelity tester access fixture) product line, the new test head supports massively parallel wafer-sort testing.

It covers an area 40% larger than its predecessor while using center-clamp technology to ensure stable contact during wafer sorting.

In addition, the test head can operate over an extended temperature range up to 175° C.

The enhanced 2GDME digital module leverages 256 channels to test a wide range of SoC devices used in automotive electronics including MCUs, APUs, ASICs and FPGAs operating at speeds up to 2Gbps.

It features a dedicated high-performance parametric measurement unit (HPMU) for every 32 I/O channels, giving the unit an expanded current capacity up to 60 milliamperes (mA) for every I/O channel.

The module also supports high-voltage applications by enabling electrical stress testing and arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and digitizer (DGT) functions valuable for characterisation purposes.

The new 96-channel DPS192A device power supply facilitates highly parallel testing of automotive SoCs with high pin counts. This module has a voltage range of -2.0V to +9.0V and a current range up to 3Amp.

The unit’s capabilities include enhanced slew-rate control as well as a trace function to evaluate power integrity, an averaging function that improves sampling rates for measuring supply currents and a continuous sampling function that enables a new test methodology for IDD spectrum measurement.

The T2000 test platform is ideally suited for evaluating SoC devices and other ICs fabricated with small-lot, high-mix manufacturing methods. The system enables users to respond rapidly to shifting market needs with minimal capital investment while also helping to reduce development times for new designs.