Handler with integrated receiver and signal path interface to tester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9838076-B2
Application number	US-201615077805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A method for testing a device under test (DUT) is disclosed. The method comprises communicating signals wirelessly from a first plurality of patch antennae disposed on a top surface of the DUT to a second plurality of patch antennae disposed on a printed circuited within a handler device, wherein the handler device is operable to place the DUT in a socket of a tester system, and wherein the tester system comprises the handler device and a test fixture. The method further comprises communicating the signals captured by the second plurality of patch antennae using microstrip transmission lines to a patch antenna on the printed circuit board, wherein a first waveguide is mounted to the patch antenna using a first waveguide flange, and wherein the first waveguide flange is coupled to a first end of the first waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for testing a device under test (DUT), the method comprising:
communicating signals wirelessly from a first plurality of patch antennae disposed on a top surface of the DUT to a second plurality of patch antennae disposed on a printed circuit within a handler device, wherein the handler device is operable to place the DUT in a socket of a tester system; and
communicating the signals captured by the second plurality of patch antennae using microstrip transmission lines to a third patch antenna on the printed circuit board, wherein a first waveguide is mounted to the third patch antenna using a first waveguide flange, and wherein the first waveguide flange is coupled to a first end of the first waveguide, wherein the first waveguide is affixed to the handler device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
translating the signals to a test fixture using the first waveguide for testing, wherein the test fixture is on a bottom side of the DUT, and wherein the tester system comprises the handler device and a test fixture.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
blind mating the first waveguide to a second waveguide using a second waveguide flange, wherein the second waveguide flange is coupled to a second end of the first waveguide.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second waveguide is located on the test fixture and interfaces the signals to the test fixture.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating signals wirelessly from a fourth plurality of patch antennae disposed on a bottom surface of the DUT to a fifth plurality of patch antennae disposed on a printed circuit board within the test fixture.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
communicating signals wirelessly from a fourth plurality of patch antennae disposed on a bottom surface of the DUT to a horn antenna disposed within the test fixture, wherein the horn antenna captures the signals and transmits them to the test fixture.

7. A method for testing a device under test (DUT), the method comprising:
transmitting signals from a tester system to a handler device using a first waveguide, wherein the first waveguide is mounted on a single patch antenna disposed on a printed circuit board within the handler device wherein the first waveguide is affixed to the handle device;
communicating the signals from the single patch antenna to a first plurality of patch antennae on the printed circuit board using microstrip transmission lines, wherein the first plurality of patch antennae are disposed above a DUT in a socket of the tester system; and
radiating the signals wirelessly from the first plurality of patch antennae to a second plurality of patch antennae disposed on the top surface of the DUT.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the transmitting further comprises:
blind-mating a second waveguide coupled to a test fixture to the first waveguide coupled to the handler device, wherein the tester system comprises the handler device and the test fixture and wherein the signals are transmitted to the handler device from the test fixture through the first and second waveguides.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
communicating signals wirelessly from a horn antenna coupled to the test fixture to a third plurality of patch antennae disposed on a bottom surface of the DUT.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
communicating signals wirelessly from a third plurality of antennae on a printed circuit board within the test fixture to a fourth plurality of patch antennae disposed on a bottom surface of the DUT.

11. A tester system for testing a device under test (DUT), the system comprising:
a handler device operable to secure and place the DUT in a socket;
a test fixture operable to receive test signals from the DUT;
a first plurality of patch antennae disposed on the top surface of the DUT operable to transmit signals wirelessly to a second plurality of patch antennae disposed on a printed circuit board within the handler device;
the printed circuit board comprising microstrip transmission lines and operable to communicate the signals to a third patch antenna using the microstrip transmission lines; and
a first waveguide mounted to the third patch antenna wherein the signals are translated to the test fixture using the first waveguide.

12. The tester system of claim 11 , wherein the first waveguide is mounted to the patch antenna using a first waveguide flange, wherein the first waveguide flange is coupled to a first end of the first waveguide, and wherein the test fixture is located on an underside of the DUT.

13. The tester system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a second waveguide blind mated to the first waveguide using a second waveguide flange, wherein the second waveguide flange is coupled to a second end of the first waveguide.

14. The tester system of claim 12 , wherein the second waveguide connects to the test fixture at one end and to the first waveguide at the other end, and wherein the signals are carried to the test fixture from the handler device using the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

15. The tester system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a horn antenna disposed in the test fixture underneath the DUT and operable to capture wireless signals transmitted from a fourth plurality of patch antennae disposed on a bottom surface of the DUT.

16. A tester system for testing a device under test (DUT), the system comprising:
a handler device operable to secure and place the DUT in a socket;
a test fixture operable to generate test signals for the DUT;
a first plurality of patch antennae disposed on the top surface of the DUT operable to receive signals wirelessly from a second plurality of patch antennae disposed on a printed circuit board within the handler device;
the printed circuit board comprising microstrip transmission lines and operable to transmit the signals from a third patch antenna on the printed circuit board to the second plurality of patch antennae using the microstrip transmission lines; and
a first waveguide mounted to the third patch antenna wherein the signals are translated from the test fixture to the handler device using the first waveguide.

17. The tester system of claim 16 , wherein the first waveguide is mounted to the third patch antenna using a first waveguide flange, wherein the first waveguide flange is coupled to a first end of the first waveguide, and wherein the test fixture is located below the DUT.

18. The tester system of claim 17 , further comprising:
a second waveguide blind mated to the first waveguide using a second waveguide flange, wherein the second waveguide flange is coupled to a second end of the first waveguide.

19. The tester system of claim 18 , wherein the second waveguide connects to the test fixture at one end and to the first waveguide at the other end, and wherein the signals are carried from the test fixture to the handler device using the first waveguide and the second waveguide.

20. The tester system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a horn antenna disposed in the test fixture underneath the DUT and operable to transmit wireless signals from the test fixture to a fourth plurality of patch antennae disposed on a bottom surface of the DUT.

Assignees

• Advantest Corp

Inventors

• Lam Daniel

Classifications

• H04B3/46 Primary

  Monitoring; Testing · CPC title

• H04B3/52

  Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides · CPC title

• H04B17/12

  of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase · CPC title

• G01R1/0408

  Test fixtures or contact fields; Connectors or connecting adaptors; Test clips; Test sockets (G01R1/067 takes precedence; mass production testing systems G01R31/59; testing of connections G01R31/66; for testing printed circuit boards G01R31/2808) · CPC title

• G01R31/3025

  Wireless interface with the DUT · CPC title