TW201433798A - Semiconductor circuit testing device capable of isolating signal interference - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a testing device for testing semiconductor circuit. The testing device includes a control module, a backplane board, an alarm module, and a power module. The control module includes a first transmitting unit and a first encoder/decoder. The first transmitting unit receives a light signal, and the first encoder/decoder converts the light signal into an electrical signal. The backplane board, controlled by the electrical signal, selectively initiates at least one test procedure. The alarm module includes a micro control unit and a first isolation unit. The micro control unit monitors at least one parameter of the backplane board through the first isolation unit, and selectively generates an alarm signal correspondingly. The power module includes a transformer for coupling the power provided by a power supply to the backplane board. Therefore, the testing device of the embodiment reduces the electromagnetic interference.

Description

Semiconductor circuit test device capable of isolating signal interference

The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit test apparatus, and more particularly to a semiconductor circuit test apparatus capable of isolating power supply interference from various control signal interferences to avoid errors in measuring a semiconductor circuit to be tested.

With the advancement of technology, the functions of semiconductor circuits are also changing with each passing day, and the functions carried out are becoming more diverse. Traditionally, semiconductor circuits have undergone a series of test procedures before they leave the factory to determine that the functions in the semiconductor circuit are normal. The series of test procedures can generally be performed by one or more test devices, and the test devices can be used to batch measure the semiconductor circuit to be tested. Generally, the test device will be connected to a computer or other device suitable for the user to input instructions, and the user sets the details of the test item, test parameters or other test procedures. The test device is controlled by the computer to execute a corresponding test program and report whether the function in the semiconductor circuit is normal.

However, how to quickly and accurately determine whether the function of the semiconductor circuit to be tested is normal is not easy, especially if the environment is full of noise interference, and the precise test procedure may result in erroneous judgment due to interference. In addition, the most common noise interference is that the test program transmitted by the computer to the test device may interfere with the test program; when the test device reports that the function in the semiconductor circuit is normal, it may interfere with the test program; and the external power supply gives Test procedures may also interfere with the test program. Therefore, the industry needs a test device capable of isolating power supply interference and various control signal interferences to avoid errors in measuring the semiconductor circuit to be tested.

In view of this, the present invention provides a semiconductor circuit testing device, which can effectively isolate the control signal and power supply interference transmitted by the computer, and can monitor whether the semiconductor circuit is normal without affecting the test program, so as to avoid measuring the test to be tested. An error occurs in the semiconductor circuit.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor circuit testing device including a control module, a backplane, an alarm module, and a power module. The control module has a first transceiver unit and a first codec unit, the first transceiver unit is coupled to the first codec unit, the first transceiver unit is configured to receive an optical signal transmitted via the optical, and the first codec unit converts the optical signal Into the electrical signal. The backplane is coupled to the control module and is controlled by an electrical signal to selectively activate at least one test procedure. The alarm module has a micro control unit and a first isolation unit. The first isolation unit is coupled to the bottom plate and the micro control unit. The micro control unit monitors at least one parameter of the bottom plate via the first isolation unit to selectively generate an alarm signal. The power module is coupled between the bottom plate and the power supply. The power module has a transformer, and the transformer couples the power provided by the power supply to the bottom plate.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the semiconductor circuit testing device may further include a computer having a second transceiver unit for transmitting optical signals. The computer can be coupled to the control module by using a fiber optic cable, and the fiber optic cable is a transmission interface of the optical signal. In addition, the alarm module can have a second isolation unit coupled to the computer via the second isolation unit, and the computer can receive the alarm signal generated by the alarm module. In addition, the micro control unit can determine whether the parameter of the bottom plate exceeds a threshold value, thereby selectively generating an alarm signal.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the power module may further have a pulse width modulation unit, and the pulse width modulation unit is coupled between the transformer and the power supply, and the power supply provided by the power supply is a DC voltage, and the pulse is width The modulation unit modulates the DC voltage and outputs it to the transformer. In addition, the power module may further have a rectifier, the rectifier is coupled between the transformer and the bottom plate, and the output voltage of the rectifier rectifier transformer is output to the bottom plate. In addition, the parameters monitored by the alarm module can be related to the voltage, temperature, time or power of the backplane.

In still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the backplane may be coupled to at least one functional tester for performing a test procedure, and the backplane is controlled by an electrical signal to selectively drive the functional tester. In addition, the bottom plate is coupled to the test device via a function tester, and the test program executed by the function tester is used to detect the device to be tested.

In summary, the semiconductor circuit testing device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can utilize the optical isolation technology to prevent the control module from being interfered by the computer. Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the invention, the first isolation unit is disposed between the micro control unit and the bottom plate, so that the alarm module can monitor whether the semiconductor circuit is normal without affecting the test procedure. On the other hand, the power module of the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a transformer, so that the power provided by the power supply can be coupled to the bottom plate. Thereby, the semiconductor circuit testing device provided by the embodiment of the invention can avoid the error when measuring the semiconductor circuit to be tested.

The detailed description of the present invention and the accompanying drawings are to be understood by the claims The scope is subject to any restrictions.

1‧‧‧Semiconductor circuit tester

10‧‧‧Control Module

102‧‧‧First transceiver unit

104‧‧‧First codec unit

12‧‧‧floor

14‧‧‧Alarm module

142‧‧‧Micro Control Unit

144‧‧‧First isolation unit

16‧‧‧Power Module

162‧‧‧Transformers

2‧‧‧Power supply

3‧‧‧Semiconductor circuit tester

30‧‧‧Control Module

302‧‧‧First transceiver unit

304‧‧‧First codec unit

32‧‧‧floor

322‧‧‧ functional tester

34‧‧‧Alarm module

342‧‧‧Micro Control Unit

344‧‧‧First isolation unit

346‧‧‧Second isolation unit

36‧‧‧Power Module

362‧‧‧Transformer

38‧‧‧ computer

382‧‧‧Second transceiver unit

384‧‧‧Second codec unit

L1‧‧‧ fiber optic cable

46‧‧‧Power Module

462‧‧‧Transformers

464‧‧‧ pulse width modulation unit

466‧‧‧Rectifier

5‧‧‧Semiconductor circuit to be tested

1 is a functional block diagram of a semiconductor circuit testing device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a functional block diagram of a semiconductor circuit testing device in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a power module according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a functional block diagram of a backplane and a function tester in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a semiconductor circuit testing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor circuit testing device 1 has a control module 10, a backplane board 12, an alarm module 14, and a power module 16. The control module 10 has a first transceiver unit 102 and a first codec unit 104. The first codec unit 104 is coupled to the backplane 12. The alarm module 14 has a micro control unit 142 and a first isolation unit 144 . The first isolation unit 144 is coupled between the bottom plate 12 and the micro control unit 142 . The power module 16 has a transformer 162 coupled between the bottom plate 12 and the external power supply 2. In one example, all components within the semiconductor circuit test apparatus 1 are packaged within the same housing, and the semiconductor circuit test apparatus 1 receives power from the power supply 2 through an external cable.

The first transceiver unit 102 in the control module 10 is coupled to the first codec unit 104. The first transceiver unit 102 is configured to receive an optical signal transmitted via optical, and the first codec unit 104 converts the optical signal into an electrical signal. In practice, the first transceiver unit 102 is an optical transmitter for receiving the optical signal transmitted from the external control terminal, and the optical signal carries the operation of the indication base plate 12. Mode control instructions. In addition, the control terminal may be a device having a user input interface through which a user can input a control command. Of course, the control terminal may also need no user control, but may be other related devices that can automatically generate the control command.

In view of the above, the primary function of the first codec unit 104 is to convert the optical signal into an electrical signal so that components within the semiconductor circuit test device 1 can recognize the electrical signal. For example, after the first transceiver unit 102 receives the optical signal, the first codec unit 104 performs conversion of optical and electrical signals. (E/O transform) to restore the control command to become an electrical signal. Thereby, the external control terminal is not directly coupled to the control module 10, and the optical isolation technology is used, so that the electromagnetic noise of the control terminal can be prevented from interfering with the control module 10 through the transmission cable.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the backplane 12 is controlled by an electrical signal to selectively initiate at least one test procedure. In practice, the bottom plate 12 can be coupled to the semiconductor circuit under test, and the bottom plate 12 can generally control a plurality of test programs. From a practical point of view, different test programs indicate that the items to be tested are different. If the bottom plate 12 starts one of the test programs, it indicates that the backplane 12 is testing the specific function of the semiconductor circuit to be tested. In other words, the user can determine which test the semiconductor circuit to be tested needs to perform, and input a specific control command, so that the base plate 12 can be used to select a specific test program based on the received electrical signal.

The alarm module 14 has a micro control unit 142 and a first isolation unit 144. The micro control unit 142 monitors at least one parameter of the base plate 12 via the first isolation unit 144 to selectively generate an alarm signal. In practice, the parameters monitored by the alarm module 14 are related to the operating voltage, operating temperature, operating time, or power of the backplane 12. For example, the alarm module 14 can monitor the state of the bottom plate 12 at any time. When the operating temperature in the bottom plate 12 is too high (which can be known by monitoring the temperature of the fan), the temperature parameter can be immediately passed through the first isolation. Unit 144 is passed to micro control unit 142. The micro control unit 142 may be pre-configured with a detection form. When the temperature parameter exceeds the threshold value recorded in the detection form, the micro control unit 142 generates an alarm signal to alert the semiconductor circuit testing device 1 to an abnormal state, thereby using You can stop the test program or perform troubleshooting steps immediately. In another example, when the operating voltage in the bottom plate 12 exceeds the threshold value recorded in the detection form, the micro control unit 142 also generates an alarm signal to alert the semiconductor circuit testing device 1 to an abnormal state, so that the user can immediately Stop the test procedure or troubleshoot the steps. Of course, this embodiment does not limit the semiconductor circuit testing device 1 to be controlled by the user. When the micro control unit 142 determines the semiconductor circuit testing device 1 When in an abnormal state, the semiconductor circuit test apparatus 1 can also stop the test procedure or perform the troubleshooting step by itself via the feedback control.

In order to prevent the alarm module 14 from interfering with the test procedure of the base plate 12 while monitoring or generating an alarm signal. Therefore, the present embodiment proposes the design of the first isolation unit 144, the electromagnetic signal can only be transmitted from the bottom plate 12 to the micro control unit 142, and cannot be transferred from the micro control unit 142 to the bottom plate 12. In a practical example, the first isolation unit 144 can be an isolated amplifier or other suitable isolation element. It can be seen from the foregoing examples that the micro control unit 142 must pass through the first isolation unit 144 to monitor the parameters of the bottom plate 12, that is, the circuit isolation effect between the micro control unit 142 and the bottom plate 12, thereby avoiding the electromagnetic of the alarm module 14. The noise passes through the interference floor 12.

The power module 16 is coupled between the bottom plate 12 and the power supply 2, and the transformer 162 in the power module 16 is used to couple the power of the power supply 2 to the bottom plate 12. In practice, the power module 16 is configured to receive external power so that the base plate 12 can operate normally. In addition, the transformer 162 has an isolation effect on the circuit. The transformer 162 of the embodiment can prevent the electromagnetic noise of the power supply 2 from interfering with the bottom plate 12 through the power module 16.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the semiconductor circuit testing device is further provided with a control terminal integrated together. Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a semiconductor circuit testing device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor circuit testing device 3 has a control module 30, a bottom plate 32, an alarm module 34, a power module 36, and a computer 38. Here, the control module 30, the bottom plate 32, and the power module 36 are substantially the same as the embodiment of FIG. 1. This embodiment is not described herein. Different from the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the computer 38 and the control module 30 can be connected through the optical fiber cable L1 , and the computer 38 has a second transceiver unit 382 and a second codec unit 384 . The second codec unit 384 is configured to convert a control command (electrical signal) input by the user into an optical signal, and the second transceiver unit 382 is configured to transmit the optical signal to the optical fiber cable L1. Thereby, the first transceiver unit 302 and the second transceiver unit 382 can transmit optical signals through the optical fiber cable L1, so as to prevent the electromagnetic noise of the computer 38 from passing through the optical fiber. The cable L1 interferes with the control module 30.

In addition, the alarm module 34 can have a micro control unit 342, a first isolation unit 344, and a second isolation unit 346. The second isolation unit 346 in the alarm module 34 is coupled to the computer 38. In practice, proper isolation between the alarm module 34 and the computer 38 is still required to prevent the alarm module 34 from being disturbed by electromagnetic noise. In this embodiment, the alarm module 34 will monitor the results of the backplane 32 via the second isolation unit 346 or pass back an alarm signal to the computer 38. Thus, the computer 38 can record various parameters of the semiconductor circuit to be tested, and when there is an alarm signal, the user can also stop the test procedure or perform troubleshooting steps through the computer 38.

Please note that the computer 38 described in this embodiment is not limited to a personal computer. In fact, any electronic device having computing power or an operation interface should conform to the description of the computer 38 in this embodiment, and is generally in the technical field. Knowledgers can be replaced with a mobile phone, PDA, workstation or other device.

In still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the power module may further include a pulse width modulation unit, a transformer, and a rectifier. Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a power module according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the power module 46 is coupled to the power supply 2. When the power supply 2 provides direct current, the power module 46 should correspond to a DC-to-DC power transmission architecture. Here, the pulse width modulation unit 464 in the power module 46 can receive the input voltage in the form of a direct current from the power supply 2 and convert it into an input voltage in the form of an alternating current. Transformer 462 can couple the input voltage in the form of a first side of the alternating current to the secondary side. Next, the rectifier 466 rectifies the output voltage of the transformer 462 to a direct current having an appropriate operating voltage so that the backplane 32 of FIG. 2 can still supply power using direct current.

For a practical operation example, please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 together. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a baseboard and a function tester according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the foregoing embodiment illustrates that the base plate 32 is subject to The electrical signal is controlled to selectively initiate at least one test procedure. In practice, the backplane 32 can be coupled to a plurality of functional testers 322, and each functional tester 322 can execute a test program correspondingly. That is, the backplane 32 can be controlled by electrical signals to enable a particular functional tester 322 to perform a particular test procedure. Here, the semiconductor circuit 5 to be tested is coupled to the plurality of functional testers 322 to accept the tests of the functional testers 322. In one example, functional tester 322, in turn, can be a functional test card that is pluggably coupled to backplane 32. The plurality of functional testers 322 are coupled to a test board (not shown), and the semiconductor circuit 5 to be tested is mounted on the test board. Thereby, after the semiconductor circuit 5 to be tested is tested, the user or the automation device can replace a new semiconductor circuit 5 to be tested on the test board for batch testing.

In summary, the semiconductor circuit testing device provided by the embodiment of the present invention can utilize the optical isolation technology to prevent the control module from being interfered by the computer. Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the invention, the first isolation unit is disposed between the micro control unit and the bottom plate, so that the alarm module can monitor whether the semiconductor circuit is normal without affecting the test procedure. On the other hand, the power module of the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a transformer, so that the power provided by the power supply can be coupled to the bottom plate. Thereby, the semiconductor circuit testing device provided by the embodiment of the invention can avoid the error when measuring the semiconductor circuit to be tested.

The features and spirit of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover various modifications and equivalents within the scope of the invention as claimed.

1‧‧‧Semiconductor circuit tester

10‧‧‧Control Module

102‧‧‧First transceiver unit

104‧‧‧First codec unit

12‧‧‧floor

14‧‧‧Alarm module

142‧‧‧Micro Control Unit

144‧‧‧First isolation unit

16‧‧‧Power Module

162‧‧‧Transformers

2‧‧‧Power supply

Claims (10)

A semiconductor circuit testing device includes: a control module having a first transceiver unit and a first codec unit, wherein the first transceiver unit is coupled to the first codec unit, and the first transceiver unit is configured to receive An optical signal transmitted by the first codec unit converts the optical signal into an electrical signal; a bottom plate coupled to the control module, controlled by the electrical signal to selectively activate at least one test program; an alarm The module has a micro control unit and a first isolation unit, the first isolation unit is coupled to the bottom plate and the micro control unit, and the micro control unit monitors at least one parameter of the bottom plate via the first isolation unit to select An alarm signal is generated; and a power module is coupled between the bottom plate and a power supply. The power module has a transformer, and the transformer couples the power provided by the power supply to the bottom plate. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 1, further comprising a computer having a second transceiver unit for transmitting the optical signal. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 2, wherein the computer is coupled to the control module by a fiber optic cable, and the optical fiber cable is a transmission interface of the optical signal. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 2, wherein the alarm module has a second isolation unit coupled to the computer via the second isolation unit, the computer is configured to receive the alarm module The alarm signal. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 2, wherein the micro control unit determines whether the parameter of the bottom plate exceeds a threshold value, thereby selectively generating the alarm signal. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 1, wherein the power module further has a pulse width modulation unit coupled to the transformer and the electric Between the source suppliers, the power supplied by the power supply is a DC voltage, and the pulse width modulation unit modulates the DC voltage and outputs the DC voltage to the transformer. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 6, wherein the power module further has a rectifier coupled between the transformer and the bottom plate, the rectifier rectifying an output voltage of the transformer and outputting the Base plate. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 1, wherein the parameter monitored by the alarm module is related to voltage, temperature, time or power of the bottom plate. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate is coupled to at least one function tester, the function tester is configured to execute the test program, and the bottom plate is controlled by the electrical signal to selectively drive the Functional tester. The semiconductor circuit testing device of claim 9, wherein the bottom plate is coupled to a semiconductor circuit to be tested via the functional tester, and the test program executed by the functional tester is used to detect the semiconductor circuit to be tested.