Patent ID: 6531972
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: G01R,H03M

Abstract:
A system for testing an analog-to-digital converter to generate characteristic parameters of the analog-to-digital converter, which comprises:(a) a handling device for placement of the analog-to-digital converter; (b) a communications channel coupled to the handling device; (c) a test body, having a plurality of test probes, for applying a sequence of vectors to the analog-to-digital converter, the test body coupled to the communications channel; (d) a computerized workstation coupled to the communications channel, the computerized workstation responsive user input; (e) a test mainframe coupled to the communications channel for processing of the plurality of n-bit code words; (f) the handling device responsive to the test mainframe to position the device under test to contact the plurality of test probes of the test body; (g) the test body responsive to the test mainframe to apply a plurality of test signals to the device under test, the analog-to-digital converter responsive to the plurality of test signals to generate a n-bit code word for each test signal; and (h) the test mainframe responsive to user input of the computerized workstation to generate a plurality of control signals to send a in-bit packet of least significant bits for each n-bit code word to the test mainframe, whereby the value m is proportional to the noise inherent in the system and m is less than n, the test mainframe responsive to each m-bit packet of least significant bits to regenerate the plurality of n-bit code words by determining an offset value to add to each in-bit packet, the test mainframe responsive to regenerated plurality of n-bit code words and predetermined criteria of operability to determine whether the analog-to-digital converter passes a level of functionality.