Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spectral Prediction for Specification-Based Loopback Test of Embedded Mixed-Signal Circuits

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Testing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A traditional specification-based core-level test method is no longer attractive in testing deeply embedded analog and mixed-signal circuits due to limited accessibility and resource issues. In order to overcome such difficulties, loopback testing has been considered as a promising solution when circuits include data conversion units; however its widespread adoption has been hindered due to fault masking, which may cause serious yield loss and test escape. The combination of seriously degraded components in a signal path and overqualified components in another signal path, may result in the overall performance of the loopback path being completely fault-free. This paper presents an efficient loopback test methodology which provides test accuracy equivalent to a traditional specification-based test. In our approach, a traditional loopback scheme is re-configured with an analog filter and an adder implemented on a Device Interface Board (DIB), and a multiple tone input is applied to the DUTs. The outcome of the proposed test is a set of performance parameters, allowing the evaluation of DUTs with respect to its specification, and efficient guidance of a self-repair mechanism. The mathematical analysis for the fault masking problem, based on linearity and noise parameters, is provided. In addition, various design parameters which may impact the accuracy of the proposed method are investigated. Both simulation and hardware measurements are presented to validate the proposed technique.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Analog Devices (2009) Data sheets for broadband modem mixed-signal front end. www.analog.com

  2. Arabi K, Kaminska B (1997) Testing analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits using oscillation-test method. IEEE Trans Comput-Aided Des 16(7):745–753

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bhattacharya S, Chatterjee A (2004) A built-in loopback test methodology for RF transceiver circuits using embedded sensor circuits. In: Proc IEEE Asian test symposium, pp 68–73

  4. Burns M, Roberts GW (2001) An introduction to mixed-signal IC test and measurement. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  5. Friedman JH (1991) Multivariate adaptive regression splines. Ann Stat 19(1):1–141

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Goyal S, Chatterjee A, Purtell M (2007) A low-cost test methodology for dynamic specification testing of high-speed data converters. J Electron Test 23:95–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Gray PR, Hurst PJ, Lewis SH, Meyer RG (2001) Analysis and design of analog integrated circuits. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  8. Halder A, Bhattacharya S, Chatterjee A (2003) Automatic multitone alternate test generation for RF circuits using behavioral models. In: Proc IEEE international test conference, pp 665–673

  9. Kim B, Fu Z, Abraham JA (2007) Transformer-coupled loopback test for differential mixed-signal specifications. In: Proc IEEE VLSI test symposium, pp 291–296

  10. Mendez-Rivera MG, Valdes-Garcia A, Silva-Martinez J, Sanchez-Sinencio E (2005) An on-chip spectrum analyzer for analog built-in testing. J Electron Test 21:205–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Nagi N, Chatterjee A, Yoon H, Abraham JA (1999) Signature analysis for analog and mixed-signal circuit test response compaction. IEEE Trans Comput-Aided Des 17(6):540–546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Ozev S, Orailoglu A (2001) System-level test synthesis for mixed-signal designs. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst II 48(6):588–599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Park J, Shin H, Abraham JA (2008) Parallel loopback test of mixed-signal circuits. In: Proc IEEE VLSI test symposium, pp 309–316 (2008)

  14. Raghunathan A, Chun J, Abraham JA (2004) Quasi-oscillation based test for improved prediction of analog performance parameters. In: Proc IEEE international test conference, pp 252–261

  15. Razavi B (2001) Design of analog CMOS integrated circuits. McGraw Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  16. Shin H, Kim B, Abraham JA (2006) Spectral prediction for specification-based loopback test of embedded mixed-signal circuits. In: Proc IEEE VLSI test symposium, pp 412–417

  17. Sunter SK, Nagi N (1997) A simplified polynomial-fitting algorithm for DAC and ADC BIST. In: Proc IEEE international test conference, pp 389–395

  18. Toner M, Roberts G (1996) A frequency response, harmonic distortion, and intermodulation distortion test for BIST of a sigma-delta ADC. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst II 43(8):608–613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Yu HS, Abraham JA, Hwang S, Roh J (2003) Efficient loop-back testing of on-chip ADCs and DACs. In: Proc IEEE Asia and South Pacific design automation conference, pp 651–656

  20. Yu HS, Shin H, Abraham JA (2004) Performance characterization of mixed-signal circuits using a ternary signal representation. In: Proc IEEE international test conference, pp 1389–1397

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Hongjoong Shin, Joonsung Park & Jacob A. Abraham

Authors
  1. Hongjoong Shin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joonsung Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jacob A. Abraham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hongjoong Shin.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: K. Arabi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shin, H., Park, J. & Abraham, J.A. Spectral Prediction for Specification-Based Loopback Test of Embedded Mixed-Signal Circuits. J Electron Test 26, 73–86 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10836-009-5136-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10836-009-5136-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation