The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 10, 1987
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1985
Howard D Helms, Brookside, NJ (US);
American Telephone and Telegraph Company, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to an Operational Life Test (OLT) or 'burn-in' technique for testing microprocessors. In accordance with the present invention, an OLT chamber is provided wherein many Evaluation Boards are mounted within racks in a frame in the chamber, each Board being designed for separately exercising its associated microprocessor integrated circuit (IC). During the OLT or burn-in procedure, each Evaluation Boards runs its own internally stored diagnostics, simultaneously with other Boards, to exercise the associated microprocessor ICs while the power to the Boards and the environment within the chamber is appropriately cycled to simulate system testing, installation or normal customer use. During the OLT procedure, each Board periodically reports the status of the associated microprocessor IC to circuitry such as a computer outside the chamber in order to provide a means for determining and recording any failure of a Board.