Patent ID: 6556021
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A method for testing a semiconductor device to determine at least one operational characteristic of the semiconductor device, comprising:(a) resetting an N-bit counter; (b) enabling an oscillator on the semiconductor device to produce oscillator pulses at an oscillator frequency during a predetermined time period; (c) counting the oscillator pulses with a counter during the predetermined time period to determine a pulse count; (d) producing a digital data word comprising N number of bits corresponding to the pulse count; (e) shifting the N number of bits of the digital data word into a shift register having at least a most significant bit and a least significant bit; (f) shifting the N number of bits of the digital data word out of the shift register, and manipulating the N number of bits of the digital data word to determine a count value; and (g) determining an oscillator frequency value by dividing the count value by a time value corresponding to the predetermined time period.