A SystemC-AMS Development Framework for High Power IC Test-Hardware

This paper presents a methodology based on SystemC-AMS and supported by the COSIDE graphical design environment for the development of automatic test-solutions for Integrated Circuits, which optimises the design of test-hardware and the coding of test-programs.The proposed development framework allows efficient design of test-hardware and rapid mixed-signal simulation of test-program sections, offering insight on the analog behaviour of the test-setup and on the interaction between the test-hardware, the Automatic Test Equipment and the Device Under Test, allowing early investigation and troubleshooting of the test-solution.The framework is validated within an industrial test-scenario by investigating solutions for the measurement of a rapidly changing voltage curve and by designing a narrow current pulse generator circuit where active components are used to modulate the native Automatic Test Equipment capabilities. The investigated solutions are integrated in the physical test-board and probe-card of the specific Device Under Test, and bench measurements are performed within the test-program execution.The comparison between simulation results and bench measurements highlights the capability of the presented SystemC-AMS framework in offering an accurate analog representation of the modelled components and properly supporting the development of automatic test-solutions.