Circuit testers
US4827208A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 12, 1987 |
| Grant date | May 2, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 12, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/31915
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In circuit testers, notably automatic test equipment for the in circuit testing of digital devices, overheating damage can result if outputs are repeatedly "overdriven", that is, while applying a test input to a first device, an output of a second connected device is forced into a state contrary to that it would normally adopt. Damage is avoided by enforcing a cooling interval between overdriving tests based upon a list of parameters representative of the overdriven device and its environment. In order to reduce the overall test time, a parameter is based on a measurement derived from a circuit of the type under test. A first test results in device heating to a value. A cooling interval is enforced so that a subsequent test which results in further heating of the device, may be made without exceeding device maximum allowable temperature .sup.T max.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.