CN115808548A

CN115808548A - Test fixture

Info

Publication number: CN115808548A
Application number: CN202111070035.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王裕华; 陈柏全
Original assignee: Inventec Pudong Technology Corp; Inventec Corp
Current assignee: Inventec Pudong Technology Corp; Inventec Corp
Priority date: 2021-09-13
Filing date: 2021-09-13
Publication date: 2023-03-17

Abstract

A test fixture comprises a first interface, a second interface, a bridging unit, a third interface, a power supply unit, a fourth interface and a power supply switcher. The first interface is used for accessing a first signal. The second interface is used for accessing a second signal corresponding to the first signal and/or outputting a second voltage. The bridge unit is used for bridging the first interface and the second interface. The third interface is used for receiving a first voltage. The power supply unit is used for outputting the second voltage according to the first voltage. The fourth interface is used for outputting the second voltage. The power switch is configured to output the second voltage to the second interface and/or the fourth interface.

Description

Test fixture

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a test fixture, and more particularly, to a test fixture capable of being coupled to a device under test through a predetermined interface to improve convenience during testing.

Background

Currently, when testing a device (e.g., a motherboard), a test fixture may be coupled between a computer and the device under test to access related signals and perform related control.

In general, an operating system (e.g., a Windows 10 system) of a computer uses a driver of an EIA RS-232 (also called RS-232) interface standard to transfer to an RS232-DB9 connector through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 to couple to a test fixture, and then transfers RS232 to a communication protocol of a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) for communicating with a device under test. In addition, the power supply of the device under test is provided by an external power supply.

The above solutions have observed a number of deletions as described below. At present, newly designed information products, such as computers or servers, mostly adopt newer high-speed transmission interfaces for external communication, such as universal serial bus (usb), and the RS232-DB9 connector has been gradually replaced by new interfaces, so that the RS232-DB9 connector of the test fixture has been difficult to connect with the newly designed information products (i.e., devices under test) in the near term. The transmission interface of the test fixture only has one group of UART transceiving interfaces, so that the communication flexibility between the test fixture and the device to be tested is extremely low. In addition, a power supply is often required to be additionally prepared to supply power to the device to be tested, which causes inconvenience in height, and frequent plugging and unplugging of the power connector also often causes damage to the circuit board. In addition, driver problems often occur between the USB 2.0 interface and the RS-232 interface.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment provides a test fixture, which comprises a first interface, a second interface, a bridging unit, a third interface, a power supply unit, a fourth interface and a power switch. The first interface is used for accessing a first signal. The second interface is used for accessing a second signal corresponding to the first signal and/or outputting a second voltage. The bridge unit is coupled between the first interface and the second interface and is used for bridging the first interface and the second interface. The third interface is used for receiving a first voltage. The power supply unit is configured to output the second voltage according to the first voltage, and includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the third interface for receiving the first voltage, and the second terminal is configured to output the second voltage. The fourth interface is used for outputting the second voltage. The power switch is configured to output the second voltage to the second interface and/or the fourth interface, and includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the power supply unit for receiving the second voltage, the second terminal is coupled to the second interface, and the third terminal is coupled to the fourth interface. The first terminal of the power switch is selectively electrically connected to the second terminal and/or the third terminal of the power switch.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a test fixture according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the test fixture of fig. 1 in another embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the test fixture of fig. 2 coupled to a control device, a power device and a device under test.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the test fixture of fig. 2 coupled to a control device, a power device and a device under test in another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a pin assignment diagram of the customized USB type-C interface according to an embodiment.

Description of the element reference numerals

101: test fixture

102: first interface

103: third interface

104: second interface

105: fourth interface

106: bridging unit

107: power supply controller

108: power converter

109: power supply switcher

110: power supply unit

180: control device

190: power supply device

199: device under test

PH1, PH2, PH3: route of travel

S1: the first signal

S2: the second signal

V1: first voltage

V2: second voltage

V3: third voltage

A1 to a12, B1 to B12: numbering

Detailed Description

In order to address the above-mentioned difficulties in the art, embodiments may provide a test fixture as a solution. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a test fixture 101 in an embodiment. The test fixture 101 may include a first interface 102, a second interface 104, a bridge unit 106, a third interface 103, a power supply unit 110, a fourth interface 105, and a power switch 109.

The first interface 102 is used for accessing the first signal S1. The second interface 104 can be used for accessing the second signal S2 corresponding to the first signal S1 and/or outputting the second voltage V2. The bridge unit 106 may be coupled between the first interface 102 and the second interface 104 for bridging the first interface 102 and the second interface 104. The third interface 103 is operable to receive the first voltage V1. The power supply unit 110 is configured to output a second voltage V2 according to the first voltage V1. The power supply unit 110 may include a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal may be coupled to the third interface 103 to receive the first voltage V1, and the second terminal may output the second voltage V2. The fourth interface 105 may be configured to output the second voltage V2. The power switch 109 may be configured to output the second voltage V2 to the second interface 104 and/or the fourth interface 105. The power switch 109 includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal, wherein the first terminal may be coupled to the second terminal of the power supply unit 110 to receive the second voltage V2, the second terminal may be coupled to the second interface 104, and the third terminal may be coupled to the fourth interface 105. The first terminal of the power switch 109 can be selectively electrically connected to the second terminal and/or the third terminal of the power switch 109. According to an embodiment, the power switch 109 may be a mechanical switch or an electronic switch.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the test fixture 101 of fig. 1 according to another embodiment. As shown in fig. 2, the power supply unit 110 may include a power supply controller 107 and a power converter 108. The power supply controller 107 may be configured to convert the first voltage V1 into a third voltage V3, and the power supply controller 107 may include a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal may be coupled to the first terminal of the power supply unit 110, and the second terminal may be configured to output the third voltage V3. The power converter 108 may be configured to convert the third voltage V3 into a second voltage V2, and the power converter 108 may include a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal may be coupled to the second terminal of the power supply controller 107, and the second terminal may be coupled to the second terminal of the power supply unit 110 to output the second voltage V2.

According to an embodiment, the power supply controller 107 may support Universal Serial Bus (USB) power supply control, which may provide voltage values, power values, current values, and power directions that may be controlled. According to an embodiment, the power converter 108 may include a buck converter (buck chopper). The power converter 108 can adjust the output voltage and current, and can selectively filter and reduce the voltage ripple.

According to an embodiment, in fig. 2, the third voltage V3 may be substantially higher than the second voltage V2. For example, the third voltage V3 may be 20 volts, and the second voltage V2 may be 12 volts. According to an embodiment, in fig. 1 and 2, the first voltage V1 may be substantially equal to the second voltage V2. For example, the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 may be 12 volts.

According to an embodiment, the first interface 102 may be a first customized USB type C (USB type-C) interface, the second interface 104 may be a second customized USB type C interface, the third interface 103 may be a standard USB type C interface, and the fourth interface 105 may be a direct current power outlet (DC jack), such as a coaxial connector. According to an embodiment, the first interface 102 and the second interface 104 may be customized to have the same pin assignment (pin-out) or customized to have different pin assignments, as desired.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the test fixture 101 of fig. 2 coupled to the control device 180, the power device 190 and the device under test 199. As shown in fig. 3, the first interface 102 may be coupled to the control device 180, and the third interface 103 may be coupled to the power device 190. The control device 180 may be, for example, a computer (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or a dedicated controller) for performing control and analysis. The power device 190 may be an adapter, a battery, or a power bank that supports coupling to a USB type C interface. The second interface 104 can be used for couplingTo the device under test 199 for testing at least one predetermined interface of the device under test 199 using the second signal S2. The at least one predetermined interface to be tested of the device under test 199 may comprise an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I) ² C) At least one of an Interface, a UART Interface, and a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI).

For example, the device under test 199 may be a motherboard, and during development, the test fixture 101 may be coupled to the device under test 199 for power supply and signal transmission and reception, thereby facilitating debugging and analysis. When the development is finished and the production is carried out, the related USB type C interface and the related line can be removed or covered. The USB type C interface can support power supply, can access information, is easy to plug and unplug, and is gradually highly popular, so the above-mentioned problems in the field can be reduced. Since the associated interface is removable after debugging and analysis is performed, it does not unduly increase costs.

As shown in fig. 3, a path PH1 formed by the first interface 102, the bridge unit 106 and the second interface 104 may be a test-related path. The path PH2 formed by the third interface 103, the power supply unit 110, the power switch 109 and the second interface 104, and the path PH3 formed by the third interface 103, the power supply unit 110, the power switch 109 and the fourth interface 105 may be power supply related paths.

As shown in fig. 3, if the device under test 199 has an access interface of USB type C and can use the interface to send and receive signals and receive power, the device under test 199 may be coupled to the second interface 104 to access information and send and receive power for debugging and analysis.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the test fixture 101 of fig. 2 coupled to the control device 180, the power device 190 and the device under test 199 according to another embodiment. For example, if the device under test 199 has a signal access interface of USB type C but still needs to be powered through a dc power socket, the signal access interface of the device under test 199 may be coupled to the second interface 104 and the power interface of the device under test 199 may be coupled to the fourth interface 105 as shown in fig. 4, so as to access information and send and receive power for debugging and analysis.

FIG. 5 shows an embodimentPin assignment for customized USB type C interface. For example, the pin assignment of the first interface 102 and the second interface 104 of fig. 1-4 can be as shown in fig. 5. Fig. 5 is merely an example, and the pin assignment may be adjusted according to the requirement in practice. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, the pins on one side of the customized USB type C interface may be numbered A1 to A12, and the pins on the other side may be numbered B1 to B12. As shown in fig. 5, the related pins may include, for example, a ground pin (GND), a transmit data pin (TXD), a receive data pin (RXD), a power pin (VBUS), a clock pin (SCK), a data output pin (SO), a data input pin (SI), a chip selection pin (CS), a clock pin (SCL), a sequence data pin (SDA), etc. to support the SPI interface, the I interface ² C interface and UART interface. In fig. 5, for example, the a11 th pin is labeled as SDA1, the B11 th pin is labeled as SDA2, which are both sequence data pins (SDA), the suffix is used for partitioning, and the other pins are labeled in the same way, so the description is omitted.

According to an embodiment, the second interface 104 may be a dual-sided pluggable interface coupled to the device under test 199. For example, the dut 199 is coupled to the second interface 104 through the transmission line, and the insertion direction of the usb type C plug is not limited. Since the pin assignment of the first interface 102 and the second interface 104 is customized, if the USB plug is coupled to the female socket in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, additional processing may be performed subsequently when processing the signal, for example, additional processing of a log (log) may be performed for debugging and analysis.

In general, the test fixture 101 of the embodiment can improve the flexibility of communication between the test fixture and the dut, and provide various power supply paths without requiring an additional power supply to supply power to the dut, thereby improving convenience. In addition, the circuit board damage caused by frequent plugging and unplugging of the power connector can be avoided, and the problem of a driving program between interfaces can be avoided. The test fixture 101 can test most of the current devices under test, and uses the USB type C interface, so that the pin pitch (pin pitch) is decreased, which can further save space, for example, the volume of the test fixture can be smaller than that of the conventional pin header connector. Therefore, many problems faced in the art can be effectively dealt with.

In an embodiment of the present invention, during the development process of the new server, the motherboard of the new server must perform multiple tests, sometimes repeatedly, to confirm that all the test items are normal and can meet the specifications and quality of the product shipment. Therefore, the test fixture of the invention can be used for conveniently testing the mainboard of the server, improving the reliability of the server, and making the tested server more suitable for Artificial Intelligence (AI) operation and Edge Computing (Edge Computing), or can be used as a 5G server, a cloud server or a vehicle networking server.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims of the present invention should be covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. A test fixture, comprising:

a first interface for accessing a first signal;

a second interface for accessing a second signal corresponding to the first signal and/or outputting a second voltage;

a bridge unit coupled between the first interface and the second interface for bridging the first interface and the second interface;

a third interface for receiving a first voltage;

a power supply unit for outputting the second voltage according to the first voltage, including a first terminal coupled to the third interface for receiving the first voltage, and a second terminal for outputting the second voltage;

a fourth interface for outputting the second voltage; and

a power switch for outputting the second voltage to the second interface and/or the fourth interface, comprising a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the power supply unit for receiving the second voltage, a second terminal coupled to the second interface, and a third terminal coupled to the fourth interface, wherein the first terminal of the power switch is selectively electrically connected to the second terminal and/or the third terminal of the power switch.

2. The test fixture of claim 1, wherein the power supply unit further comprises:

a power supply controller for converting the first voltage into a third voltage, including a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the power supply unit, and a second terminal for outputting the third voltage; and

the power converter is used for converting the third voltage into the second voltage, and comprises a first end coupled to the second end of the power supply controller, and a second end coupled to the second end of the power supply unit and used for outputting the second voltage.

3. The test fixture of claim 2, wherein the third voltage is substantially higher than the second voltage.

4. The test fixture of claim 2, wherein the power converter is a buck converter.

5. The test fixture of claim 1, wherein the first voltage is substantially equal to the second voltage.

6. The test fixture of claim 1, wherein the fourth interface is a dc power socket.

7. The test fixture of claim 1, wherein the power switch is a mechanical switch or an electronic switch.

8. The test fixture of claim 1, wherein the first interface is a first customized USB type C interface, the second interface is a second customized USB type C interface, and the third interface is a standard USB type C interface.

9. The test fixture of claim 8, wherein the second interface is configured to couple to a device under test for testing at least one predetermined interface of the device under test using the second signal, the at least one predetermined interface comprising at least one of an I2C interface, a UART interface, and an SPI interface.

10. The test fixture of claim 8, wherein the second interface is coupled to a dual-side pluggable interface of the device under test.