Texas Instruments Incorporated Deutschland, Gmbh

Texas Instruments Corporation

Ralf Sonnhueter

Anton Ecker

Markus Dietl

Joern Naujokat

Embodiments of the invention relate to automatic test equipment for testing a circuit having an oscillating crystal and to a method for operating such automatic test equipment. A generator generates a first signal comprising an oscillating part having at least one predetermined frequency. A first terminal couples the first signal to the oscillating crystal. At least one predetermined frequency is located inside a predetermined window around one of the resonance frequencies of the oscillating crystal. An analyzer has a second terminal coupled to the oscillating crystal for detecting a second signal and a rectifier connected in series with a low-pass filter for rectifying and filtering the second signal. A detector for detects a DC-signal at the output of the low-pass filter and for signals a valid test result for the oscillating crystal if the DC-signal exceeds a certain threshold value.

Automatic test equipment for testing an oscillating crystal and method for operating the same

A circuit board (CB) and method for automatic testing of an electronic device under test (DUT). The circuit board (CB) has a first terminal (T) for coupling to automatic test equipment (ATE) including a first signal generator (SG), a second terminal (T) for coupling to the device under test (DUT), a circuit path (W) interconnecting the first and second terminals (T, T), and a PIN (Positive Intrinsic Negative) diode (D) having one of its cathode (CA) and anode (AN) connected to the circuit path (W). A third terminal (T) for coupling to a second signal generator (SG) is connected to the other of the cathode (CA) and anode (AN). The PIN diode (D) is arranged so that the length of its connection with the circuit path (W) is electrically short with respect to the signal frequency of the test signal.

Circuit board and method for automatic testing

An integrated circuit device comprises internally on-chip an oscillator with a signal output. The device has a reference clock input, a first counter with a count input, a control input and a counter output, a second counter with a count input, a control input and an overflow indication output, and a test control logic circuit. The count input of the first counter is connected to the signal output of the oscillator. The count input of the second counter is connected to the reference clock input. The overflow indication output of the second counter is connected to an input of the test control logic circuit. The test control circuit has an output connected to the control input of the first counter to apply a stop counting control signal to the first counter after it has received an overflow indication signal from the second counter. The first counter after it has received a stop counting control signal provides a count at the counter output which is indicative of the output frequency of the oscillator. The device includes all the hardware necessary to perform an on-chip test of the oscillator, thereby obviating the need for serial testing on sophisticated and expensive test equipment.

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Schrobenhausen, Germany

Ralf Sonnhueter