Verigy announces mixed-signal testing capability for V101 platform

CUPERTINO, USA: Verigy, a premier semiconductor test company, has enhanced its V101 platform by adding new capability for testing mixed-signal semiconductor devices.

The versatile V101 platform, designed for high-volume testing of cost-sensitive ICs at both the wafer sort and final test production steps, now delivers mixed-signal capability designed for testing devices with audio and video signals.

The V101’s mixed-signal capability is enabled by a plug-and-play module that can be quickly and easily installed into the V101 for testing mixed-signal ICs used in applications such as automotive, communications, data processing, and audio and video consumer electronics. The zero-footprint V101 platform can cost-effectively test microcontrollers and other low-pin-count, low-cost ICs in the high-mix manufacturing environments where these devices are typically produced.

“A critical challenge facing semiconductor designers and manufacturers is how to reduce their cost of test, time to volume manufacturing and time to market for today’s cost-sensitive electronics products,” said Jin Wei, Verigy’s vice president of application specific test solutions (ASTS). “Our V101 system can now meet these pressing needs in the mixed-signal device market.”

Operating at a data rate of up to 100 MHz, Verigy’s V101 platform can accommodate as many as 1,024 input/output (I/O) channels and perform audio and video band mixed-signal testing. The new mixed signal capability increases the flexibility of the V101 to economically test a wide spectrum of microcontrollers and ICs, which typically use a mix of embedded components and encompass a variety of technologies.

The V101 platform employs Verigy’s modular tester-on-board architecture, which improves cost efficiency by simplifying the tester’s hardware, configuration and system support. This patented architecture places digital, device power supplies and DC resources directly on the board allowing test resources scale with the digital pincount.

Using standard components for high reliability, ease of maintenance and easy installation, the V101’s architecture is optimized for cost effective wafer sorting of and final test of a wide range of applications including mixed-signal devices.

The V101 platform also uses Verigy’s production-proven and award-winning Stylus operating system software. The user-friendly STIL-based programming enables fast and efficient program development and simplify test conversions from other programs, significantly reducing development time.