Patent ID: 7620861

Claim:
A method for high-speed testing of a device under test coupled to a tester via a limited passband communication channel, the method comprising: generating a finite plurality of test vector patterns; transmitting each of the plurality of test vector patterns electrically to the device under test via the communication channel; for each of the plurality of test vector patterns transmitted electrically to the device under test, receiving a bit pattern in response to the transmission of the respective test vector pattern, the bit pattern having been transmitted electrically via the communication channel from the device under test, and performing a comparison of the bit pattern received in response to the transmission of the respective test vector pattern with a reference bit pattern associated with the respective test vector pattern; determining at least one test outcome, wherein each of the at least one test outcome is based on the comparison performed for a corresponding one of the plurality of test vector patterns; and at least one of recording and outputting the at least one test outcome; wherein each of the plurality of test vector patterns, when transmitted electrically at a transmission rate via the communication channel, has a frequency content that is less than the frequency content of a high frequency test vector pattern if the high frequency test vector pattern were to be transmitted electrically at the transmission rate via the communication channel, the frequency content of the high frequency test vector pattern falling outside of the passband associated with the communication channel; and wherein the frequency content of each test vector pattern when transmitted electrically at the transmission rate via the communication channel falls within the passband associated with the communication channel.