
7
The formatter sends a sequence of digital information to the
pin driver which contains logic information over time. The
active load is enabled when the DUT pin acts as an output. It
simulates the load of the DUT pin by sinking or sourcing
programmed current. Finally the sequencer controls the
overall activities of the automatic testing.
Decoupling Circuit for Oscillation-Free
Operation
To insure the oscillation-free operation in ATE or pulse
generator applications, the pin driver needs an appropriate
decoupling circuit on a printed circuit board which consists of
chip capacitors and chip resistors. Figures 5 and 6 refer to a
proven decoupling circuit currently working in the lab and a
1X scale film of its associated PC board (metal level).
The control pins, DATA, DATA, HiZ, and HiZ are fed ECL
signals through 50
micro-strip lines terminated with 50
for
impedance matching since the input impedance at these
pins is much higher than 50
. At the end of the micro-strip
lines there is usually a high-speed pulse generator with an
output impedance of 50
. A 50
micro-strip line is
connected to each of the pins, DATA and HiZ through a 50
chip resistor to monitor the pulse signals.
The two input voltage pins, V
HIGH
and V
LOW
, need to be
protected from any capacitively coupled AC noise. Normally
this protection can be achieved by having a low pass filter
consisting of a 50
chip resistor and a 470pF chip capacitor.
Without this protection circuit the pin driver may oscillate due
to signals fed back from the output through the PC board
ground.
The power supply pins, V
CC1
, V
CC2
, V
EE1
, and V
EE2
,
require decoupling chip capacitors of 470pF, 0.1
μ
F, 10
μ
F.
Having decoupling capacitors close to V
CC2
and V
EE2
is
CLOCK,
START
MEMORY
EDGE/
WINDOW
COMPARATOR
MEMORY
DATA
FORMATTER
FAIL
MEMORY
FAIL
SEQUENCER
TIMING
DATA
TIMING
DUT
DATA
ACTIVE
LOAD
50
VCH
VCL
DUAL LEVEL COMPARATOR
PIN DRIVER
HiZ
FIGURE 4. TYPICAL ATE SYSTEM
V
HIGH
V
HIGH
DATA
DATA
HiZ
HiZ
V
CC1
V
CC1
V
LOW
V
LOW
V
CC2
V
CC2
V
OUT
V
OUT
V
EE2
V
EE2
V
EE1
V
EE1
V
HIGH
470pF
470pF
470pF
470pF
10
μ
F
10
μ
F
0.1
μ
F
V
LOW
V
CC
V
EE
μ
- STRIP
μ
- STRIP
0.1
μ
F
470pF
470pF
GROUND
PIN 1
50
100
50
50
50
100
50
50
μ
- STRIP
μ
- STRIP
μ
- STRIP
μ
- STRIP
μ
- STRIP
FIGURE 5. DECOUPLING CIRCUIT OF 28 PIN SOIC HFA5251
FOR OSCILLATION-FREE OPERATION
FIGURE 6. 1X FILM OF THE EVALUATION BOARD METAL
HFA5251