Universal power distribution test tool and methodology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018024204-A1
Application number	US-201615215280-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 20, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methodologies and systems are described herein whereby the electrical performance of a device may be tested. In one or more embodiments, a system for testing the electrical performance comprises a monitoring device configured to perform a set of operations including concurrently monitoring at least three different test points of a device under test (DUT) and aggregating test data comprising signal information collected concurrently from at least three different test points of the DUT. In one or more embodiments, the system is configured to monitor at least three channels wherein at least one channel corresponds to a frequency range of less than 300 kHz and the phases of signals on at least three channels are different.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a monitoring device including at least one hardware processor; the monitoring device including components for performing a set of operations comprising: concurrently monitoring at least three different test points of a Device Under Test (DUT), wherein monitoring comprises:
monitoring, at a first test point, a first channel to detect a first signal at a first phase and a first amplitude, the first channel corresponding to a frequency range of less than 300 kHz;
monitoring, at a second test point, a second channel to detect a second signal at a second phase and a second amplitude;
monitoring, at a third test point, a third channel to detect a third signal at a third phase and a third amplitude;
wherein the first phase is different from each of the second phase, and the third phase, and wherein the second phase is different from the third phase;
aggregating test data comprising signal information collected concurrently from the at least three different test points of the DUT; based on the aggregated test data, determining a signal relationship between two or more of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal; generating test results based at least on the signal relationship.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is a multi-channel oscilloscope.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to execute control software comprising functionality to configure a waveform generator transmitting input signals to the DUT.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to execute post-processing software comprising functionality to process test data collected from the at least three different test points of the DUT.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to execute software comprising functionality to determine a phase relationship between two or more of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal, and processing the test data based on the phase relationship.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to execute software comprising functionality to determine an amplitude relationship between two or more of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal, and processing the test data based on the amplitude relationship.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the DUT comprises at least one linear circuit.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured for testing of non-linear circuits of the DUT.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured for frequency-domain testing of current sharing of multi-phase power sources.

10 . They system of claim 1 , further comprising an Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) that provides a set of one or more input signals to the DUT.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the AWG is configured to change at least one of a phase, frequency or amplitude of the set of one or more input signals.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to execute software comprising functionality to evaluate a first electrical performance using a first subset of test data from the aggregated test data; wherein the system is configured to evaluate a second electrical performance using a second subset of test data from the aggregated test data; wherein the first subset of test data is different than the second subset of test data.

13 . A method comprising:
concurrently monitoring, using a single monitoring device, at least three different test points of a Device Under Test (DUT), wherein monitoring comprises:
monitoring, at a first test point, a first channel to detect a first signal at a first phase and a first amplitude, the first channel corresponding to a frequency range of less than 300 kHz;
monitoring, at a second test point, a second channel to detect a second signal at a second phase and a second amplitude;
monitoring, at a third test point, a third channel to detect a third signal at a third phase and a third amplitude;
wherein the first phase is different from each of the second phase, and the third phase, and wherein the second phase is different from the third phase;
aggregating test data comprising signal information collected concurrently from the at least three different test points of the DUT; based on the aggregated test data, determining a signal relationship between two or more of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal; generating test results based at least on the signal relationship.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the monitoring device is a multi-channel oscilloscope.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising generating and transmitting, using a waveform generator, a set of input signals to the DUT.

16 . The method of claim 13 , the method further comprising processing the test data collected from the at least three different test points of the DUT.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining a phase relationship between two or more of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal, and processing the test data based on the phase relationship.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining an amplitude relationship between two or more of the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal, and processing the test data based on the amplitude relationship.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising testing an electrical performance of at least one nonlinear circuit within the DUT.

20 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising, providing a set of one or more input signals to the DUT, wherein at least one of a phase, frequency or amplitude of the set of one or more input signals is varied over time during testing of an electrical performance of the DUT.

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Novak Istvan

Classifications

• G01R13/20

  Cathode-ray oscilloscopes · CPC title

• G01R31/40 Primary

  Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) · CPC title

• G01R31/2837

  Characterising or performance testing, e.g. of frequency response (transient response G01R27/28) · CPC title

• G01R31/44

  Testing lamps · CPC title