Waveguides for capturing close-proximity electromagnetic radiation transmitted by wireless chips during testing on automated test equipment (ATE)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817025-B2
Application number	US-201715429117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2017
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A test fixture has a flexible plastic cable that acts as a waveguide. The Device-Under-Test (DUT) is a small transceiver and antenna that operate in the Extremely High-Frequency (EHF) band of 30-300 GHz. The size of the DUT transceiver is very small, limiting the power of emitted electromagnetic radiation so that close-proximity communication is used. The envelope for reception may only extend for about a centimeter from the DUT transceiver, about the same size as the test socket. A slot is formed in the test socket very near to the antenna. The slot receives one end of the plastic waveguide. The slot extends into the envelope by the DUT transceiver so that close-proximity radiation is captured by the plastic waveguide. The waveguide has a high relative permittivity and reflective metalized walls so that the radiation may be carried to a receiver that is outside the envelope.

First claim

We claim:

1. A test system for testing a Device-Under-Test (DUT) that emits close-proximity electromagnetic radiation, the test system comprising:
a test socket that holds the DUT during testing;
an interface board electrically connected between a test controller and electrical contacts of the DUT, when the DUT is held in the test socket;
an opening formed in the test socket, the opening extending into a first envelope of electromagnetic radiation, the first envelope created during testing by a first DUT antenna included in the DUT;
a first waveguide being placed to receive electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first DUT antenna during testing; and
a first receiver antenna placed near a second end of the first waveguide, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first DUT antenna during testing is carried by the first waveguide to the second end and directed onto the first receiver antenna, the second end disposed outside of the first envelope.

2. The test system of claim 1 , wherein the first waveguide comprises regions of plastic and non-plastic materials.

3. The test system of claim 1 , wherein the DUT comprises a plurality of transceiver integrated circuits (ICs) with multiple antennas, wherein each antenna generates an envelope for one of the plurality of transceiver ICs; and
the test system further comprises a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a first end situated in the envelope of a different one of the multiple antennas of the DUT.

4. The test system of claim 3 , further comprising:
an adapter receiving second ends of the plurality of waveguides, the adapter merging electromagnetic radiation carried by the plurality of waveguides for reception by the first receiver and at least one additional receiver.

5. The test system of claim 1 , wherein the first envelope is less than 2 centimeters in its longest dimension;
wherein the DUT has a longest dimension that is less than 5 centimeters;
wherein the first DUT antenna has a longest dimension that is less than 1 centimeter.

6. The test system of claim 1 , wherein the DUT operates in an Extremely High-Frequency (EHF) band of 30 GHz to 300 GHz;
wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the DUT is EHF radiation having a frequency between 30 GHz and 300 GHz,
wherein the DUT is an EHF transmitter.

7. The test system of claim 1 , wherein the DUT is a module containing an EHF transceiver integrated circuit (IC) and the first DUT antenna.

8. The test system of claim 1 , wherein the DUT is an integrated circuit IC containing an EHF transceiver circuit integrated onto a same semiconductor substrate with the first DUT antenna.

9. The test system of claim 1 , wherein the opening is a slot cut into the test socket, the slot sized to receive the first waveguide, and wherein the first end of the first waveguide is placed within the first envelope.

10. The test system of claim 9 , wherein the first DUT antenna radiates in an upward direction, wherein the first envelope is above the DUT;
wherein the first end of the first waveguide is placed above the first DUT antenna and facing the DUT to receive the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first DUT antenna during testing.

11. The test system of claim 9 , wherein the test socket further comprises:
a socket base connected to the interface board;
a DUT cavity in the socket base for receiving the DUT during testing;
a socket plunger situated above the socket base, the socket plunger pressing the DUT into the DUT cavity during testing;
wherein the opening is formed in the socket plunger, and when the first DUT antenna radiates in an upward direction, the first envelope extends into the socket plunger;
wherein the opening is formed in the socket base, and when the first DUT antenna radiates in a downward direction, the first envelope extends into the socket base.

12. The test system of claim 11 , wherein the opening is formed horizontally in a side of the socket base, and when the first DUT antenna radiates in a horizontal direction, the first envelope extends into the side of the socket base.

13. The test system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transceiver;
wherein the first receiver antenna is in the transceiver;
wherein the first waveguide directs the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first DUT antenna into the first receiver antenna in the transceiver;
wherein the test controller compares data received by the transceiver with a predetermined data pattern, the test controller indicating that the DUT is faulty when the received data and the predetermined data pattern mismatch.

14. The test system of claim 13 , wherein the transceiver comprises a known-good transceiver being of a device type intended to be paired with the DUT in an end-user system.

15. A test system for testing a Device-Under-Test (DUT) that emits close-proximity electromagnetic radiation, the test system comprising:
a test socket that holds the DUT during testing;
an opening formed in the test socket, the opening extending into a first envelope of electromagnetic radiation, the first envelope created during testing by a first DUT antenna included in the DUT;
a first waveguide being placed to receive electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first DUT antenna during testing; and
a first receiver antenna placed near a second end of the first waveguide, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the first DUT antenna during testing is carried by the first waveguide to the second end and directed onto the first receiver antenna, the second end disposed outside of the first envelope.

16. The test system of claim 15 , wherein the DUT comprises:
a plurality of transmitters devices configured to generate encoded data on a carrier wave of at least 30 GHz; and
a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas configured to generate a corresponding envelope of electromagnetic radiation; and
the test system further comprises a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a first end situated within an envelope generated by a different one of the plurality of antennas of the DUT, and a second end not within the envelope generated by a different one of the plurality of antennas, wherein electromagnetic radiation captured at the first end is carried through each of the plurality of waveguides to the second end.

17. The test system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of transmitter devices are integrated together onto a multi-transmitter module, wherein the multi-transmitter module is inserted into the test socket.

18. The test system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional test sockets for holding devices during testing;
wherein the plurality of transmitter devices are each inserted into a different one of the plurality of test sockets.

19. The test system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a tester that compares data re-generated from the electromagnetic radiation at the second end of each of the plurality the waveguides to expected data transmitted by the corresponding transmitter device and signals a faulty transmitter device when the data re-generated mismatches the expected data.

20. The test system of claim 19 , further comprising:
a plurality of antenna horns, each antenna horn having a waveguide end that receives electromagnetic radiation from one of the plurality of waveguides, and a flared end that is larger in cross-sectional area than the waveguide end;
a horn antenna having a flared end facing the flared ends of the plurality of antenna ho

Assignees

• Keyssa Inc

Inventors

• Isaac Roger
• Sarhad Bhupendra
• Mccormack Gary Davis
• Kyles Ian A
• Weiss Frederick George
• Sansom Christopher Scott

Classifications

• G01R31/2889

  Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester (G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R1/24

  Transmission-line, e.g. waveguide, measuring sections, e.g. slotted section · CPC title

• G01R31/3025

  Wireless interface with the DUT · CPC title

• G01R1/045 Primary

  Sockets or component fixtures for RF or HF testing · CPC title

• G01R31/2822

  of microwave or radiofrequency circuits (of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28) · CPC title