Advantest Targets Advanced SerDes Device Testing with T2000 Test
Module
New 6.5Gbps Digital Module Broadens Solution Space Addressed by T2000 Platform
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Advantest Corporation
(NYSE:ATE)(TSE:6857), the world's largest supplier of semiconductor test
equipment, today introduced a revolutionary new digital module designed to
enable low-cost, flexible testing of systems-on-chip (SoCs) incorporating
advanced serializer/deserializer (SerDes) communications interfaces. The new
Advantest 6.5Gbps digital module (DM) for the T2000 open- architecture test
platform is the industry's first affordable test solution that can accommodate
SoCs employing a variety of SerDes standards (e.g., PCI Express, SATA, XAUI and
FBDIMM*), as well as source-synchronous devices such as microprocessors.
Semiconductor manufacturers are rapidly increasing chip-to-chip communications
through the use of high-speed SerDes links, which facilitate the transmission
of parallel data between two points over serial streams. By reducing the
number of data paths and thus the number of pins required, SerDes devices
deliver increased bandwidth and reduced printed-circuit board routing and
footprint, making them ideal for cell phones and other communications devices.
Previous automated test equipment (ATE) has been unable to provide true
at-speed testing of these complex devices, being costly and ill-equipped to
cope with their associated frequency, crosstalk, clocking, logic and other
issues. Designers are thus seeking new test solutions that can help ensure
testability of their SerDes chip designs.
Advantest's new 6.5GDM delivers the capabilities and flexibility necessary for
both characterization and production testing of advanced SerDes interfaces.
The module is designed to seamlessly address the test requirements associated
with interfaces that utilize a wide range of clock types -- embedded,
forwarded, source-synchronous and common clocks -- in a single highly
integrated 8-lane/32-pin card. The result is a cost-effective, high-speed
SerDes test solution delivered on Advantest's industry-leading T2000 open-test
platform.
"In the future, every type of communications chip is going to require
high-speed serial links due to the cost and bandwidth advantages they provide. However, with the challenges these devices pose for the test function, the ATE
industry has a plethora of new parameters to consider in designing next-
generation test products," said G. Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSI Research Inc. "As
an industry leader, Advantest has taken an important step by bringing to market
test modules designed to address these challenges. As these modules are
available for the OPENSTAR(R)-compliant T2000 platform, Advantest is following
through on its promise to promote open SoC test solutions." Modules Offer Unmatched Technical Capabilities Designed to address the industry's most aggressive testing requirements for
SerDes devices, the 6.5GDM provides advanced capabilities traditionally found
only on high-end, bit-error-rate test box solutions. Examples include the
ability to handle interfaces like FBDIMM with uneven numbers of Tx and Rx
channels, which can't be tested on loopback-only ATE systems, and the ability
to replace low-jitter clocks due to its high performance.
The module includes a novel header-hunt feature, which allows the tester to
track the most demanding data, and the ability to change data rates on-the-
fly, further increasing the modules' ease of use. Robust comparator logic
allows the user to measure all traditional Tx parameters with ease, while
integrated clock data recovery allows the tester to track drifting signals. The
6.5GDM also features deep pattern depth with compression and sequencer
capabilities to facilitate effective encoding of the data stream.
Key specifications include: -- 8 differential inputs and 8 differential outputs per module
-- 2 time domains per module (64 maximum per system)
-- 8x and 10x mode data (8-bit/10-bit encoding)
-- +/-30ps edge-placement accuracy
-- Up to 2V voltage swings
-- +/-1 UI jitter injection (Rx)
-- 2 integrated PMUs per channel (shared by driver and receiver) Masao Shimizu, general manager of Advantest Corporation's 1st SoC Test Business
Division, noted that the new module was designed from the ground up to deal
with the testing challenges associated with these new interface standards.
"Advantest's vision for the future of test precisely coincides with the testing
needs and challenges posed by the SerDes device market," said Shimizu. "The
competitive offerings that have attempted to address today's market have
typically failed to deliver acceptable results in an enduring, cost-effective
or timely manner. We specifically developed our new 6.5Gbps digital module to
offer capabilities significantly superior to those of currently available
products, with an eye on tomorrow's needs along with a reasonable price tag --
and, most importantly, as the next milestone along the industry's open-test
roadmap." About Advantest Advantest Corporation is the world's leading automatic test equipment supplier
to the semiconductor industry, and also produces electronic and optoelectronic
instruments and systems. A global company, Advantest has long offered total
ATE solutions, and serves the industry in every component of semiconductor
test: tester, handler, mechanical and electrical interfaces, and software. Its
SoC, logic, memory, mixed-signal and RF testers and device handlers are
integrated into the most advanced semiconductor fabrication lines in the world. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its North American subsidiary
in 1982. Advantest America, Inc. and Advantest America R&D Center, Inc. are
based in Santa Clara, Calif. More information is available at
http://www.advantest.com/ * Editors' Note -- Standards acronyms are defined as follows: SATA = Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
XAUI = Xilinx 10-Gigabit Attachment Unit Interface
FBDIMM = Fully Buffered Dual Inline Memory Module NOTE: OPENSTAR is a registered trademark of the Semiconductor Test Consortium. DATASOURCE: Advantest Corporation CONTACT: Amy Gold of Advantest America, Inc., +1-212-850-6670, or ; or Ellen Van Etten of MCA, +1-650-968-8900, or , for Advantest America, Inc.
Web site: http://www.advantest.com/
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