Intel Corporation

Thomas A Rampone

Jerald N Hall

Kirk Tyler Byers

George L Arrigotti

Dawson L Yee

A method and apparatus for testing a circuit board is disclosed. An apparatus having at least one clock source for providing a circuit board with a clock signal at a dynamically selected frequency, a storage medium storing programming instructions to control the clock source(s) to provide the clock signal at the dynamically selected frequency including a frequency that exceeds the specified operating range of frequencies for the circuit board, and for implementing parametric testing of the circuit board, and an execution unit coupled to the clock source and to the storage medium for executing the programming instructions. The programming instructions for implementing the parametric testing of the circuit board include instructions for testing the circuit board while the circuit board is supplied with the clock signal at the frequency that exceeds the operating frequency of the circuit board, thereby stressing the circuit board. The programming instructions cause the one or more clock sources to gradually increase the dynamically selected clock signal frequency to the frequency that exceeds the operating frequency of the circuit board.

Method and apparatus for stress testing of a circuit board assembly

A split-pad land pattern configured to facilitate electrical testing of an interconnection between a single electrical contact of a surface mount technology component and a printed circuit board. The split-pad land pattern comprises at least one split mounting pad including at least a first and second mounting pads coupled to a single electrical contact. The mounting pads are further coupled to corresponding access pads so that a first access pad is coupled to the first mounting pad while a second access pad is coupled to the second mounting pad. Electrical testing of the single electrical contact is possible through the completed circuit between the two access pads.

Method and apparatus for facilitating detection of solder opens of SMT

A method and apparatus for automatically controlling integrated circuit supply voltages includes, according to one embodiment, a primary voltage regulator and a secondary voltage regulator. The primary voltage regulator supplies one of either a first voltage or a second voltage to a first plurality of inputs of an integrated circuit. The secondary voltage regulator conditionally supplies a third voltage to a second plurality of inputs of the integrated circuit in the event the primary voltage regulator supplies the first voltage, with the third voltage being substantially the same as the second voltage.

Method and apparatus for automatically controlling integrated circuit

An apparatus is provided for controlling a memory refresh operation in a computer system having a processor coupled to a host volatile memory via a memory controller, a system bus controller coupled to the processor via the memory controller, and a plurality of devices coupled to the system bus controller via a system bus. The apparatus includes a first timer coupled to the memory controller for generating a first memory refresh signal at a first predetermined time interval to cause the memory controller to perform the memory refresh operation on the host volatile memory. A second timer is coupled to the system bus controller for generating a second memory refresh signal at a selective time interval to causes the system bus controller to perform the memory refresh operation on the plurality of devices. A program is provided for detecting the refresh requirement of the plurality of devices in order to determine the selective time interval. When the program detects that one of the plurality of devices requires the memory refresh operation, the program sets the selective time interval to a second predetermined time interval. When the program detects that none of the plurality of devices requires the memory refresh operation, the program switches off the second timer. A method of controlling the memory refresh operation is also described.

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Hillsboro, OR, United States of America

Thomas A Rampone