Multi-Site Testing Solution Targets Mobile Power-Management ICs

Test systems for mobile PMIC devices are required to conduct a very high volume of complex tests including as many as 2,000 tests for characterisation, 500 tests at design verification and another 300 tests during production. These testers also must have the versatility to address SoC integration trends, in which high-end digital circuits are combined with analog and power-management functions on a single chip.

The Mobile PMIC solution features a scalable, low-cost infrastructure that uses high-density modules for massive parallel tests. To provide maximum flexibility and the most economical solution, the tester features the new high-density device power supply DPS128 with 128 channels of voltage/current (VI) resources per module to accurately source and measure both current and voltage. The solution also leverages the universal pin architecture of Advantest’s Pin Scale 1600 digital module. The instrument combines high-speed digital performance with precision DC source and measurement capabilities. The per-pin time measurement unit (TMU) enables efficient measurement of high switching frequencies, duty cycles and fast rise/fall times found in today’s advanced power-management devices. The configuration is flexible and expandable to meet future testing needs.

The test solution is designed to handle the latest innovations being used in portable consumer devices to extend battery lifetimes including multi-supply voltages (MSV), which reduce power consumption by providing several domains to separate power distribution, and power-supply shut off (PSO), used to conserve individual power blocks when in standby mode.