Systems and methods associated with test equipment

1. A circuit for providing strobe markers for a plurality of pin electronics channels, the circuit comprising:

a channel circuit having:

a plurality of edge strobe type decoders (ESTDs), each ESTD for receiving an above comparator high (ACH) signal, a below comparator low (BCL) signal, a delay line element (DLE) signal, and type data, wherein each ESTD is operative to strobe said ACH and BCL signals at a time indicated by said DLE signal and further operative to determine whether said ACH and said BCH are consistent with said type data;

a plurality of window strobe type decoders (WSTDs), each WSTD for receiving a DLE signal, and a type data, wherein said WSTD decodes an event type based on said type data and outputs said decoded event type;

a window strobe fail generator (WSFG) for receiving an said ACH signal, said BCL signal, said decoded event type signals, wherein said WSFG is operative to determine whether said ACH and said BCL signals are consistent with said type data; and

a plurality of outpipes, each outpipe receiving said strobed ACH, said strobed BCL, and said decoded event type and outputting a signal, such that said circuit is operable to provide strobe markers for a plurality of pin electronics channels and is further operable to provide window and edge strobe functionality.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the circuit further comprises a plurality of channel circuits and wherein said plurality of outpipes further receives a plurality of control inputs wherein said plurality of control inputs independently control said circuit for providing strobe markers for a plurality of pin electronics channels and further providing independent window and edge strobe functionality on different channels.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the circuit comprises eight channel circuits.

4. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the WSFG comprises:

a first OR gate operative to receive set for window strobe high signals from said plurality of WSTDs;

a second OR gate operative to receive set for window strobe low signals from said plurality of WSTDs; and

a third OR gate operative to receive set for window strobe Z signals from said plurality of WSTDs.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein the WSFG further comprises:

a first comparator capable of receiving the output of said first OR gate and receiving said ACH signal and operable to compare the output of said first OR gate signal with said ACH signal;

a second comparator capable of receiving the output of said second OR gate and receiving said BCL signal and operable to compare the output of said second OR gate signal with said BCL signal; and

a third comparator capable of receiving the output of said third OR gate, said ACH, and said BCL signals and operable to compare the output of said third OR gate signal with said ACH and BCL signals.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein the first comparator determines a pass if said ACH is in a first state, the second comparator determines a pass if said BCL is the first state, and the third comparator determines a pass if said ACH and said BCL are in a complementary state to the first state.

7. A timing measurement unit multiplexer (TMUMUX) for facilitating measurement of the width of a pulse having first and second edges, the TMUMUX comprising:

a first TMUMUX sub-circuit comprising:

a first MUX, wherein said first MUX is operable to receive a first pulse, a complementary signal to said first pulse, and a first control input, wherein said first MUX is further operable to output a first signal, wherein said first signal is multiplex of said first pulse and said complementary signal to said first pulse in response to said first control signal; and

a first circuit operative to generate signals wherein edges of said generated signals are timed by pulses received from said first MUX; and

a second TMUMUX sub-circuit comprising:

a second MUX, wherein said second MUX is operable to receive a second pulse, a complementary signal to said second pulse, and a second control input, wherein said second MUX is further operable to output a second signal, wherein said second signal is multiplex of said second pulse and said complementary signal to said second pulse in response to said second control signal; and

a second circuit operative to generate signals wherein edges of said generated signals are timed by pulses received from said second MUX,

the second control input adapted to be the complement of the first control input such that the edge of said first signal is timed by a first edge of said first pulse and the edge of said second signal is timed by a second edge of said second pulse.

8. The TMUMUX of claim 7 wherein first and second TMUMUX sub-circuits further comprise third and fourth MUXs respectively, the third MUX having an first input coupled to the output of the first MUX and a second input coupled to the output of said first circuit, the fourth MUX having a first input coupled to the output of the second MUX and a second input coupled to the output of said second circuit.

9. A test system formatter comprising:

a plurality of event logic interfaces, each event logic interface capable of receiving and decoding timing signals;

a plurality of delay line elements (DLEs), each DLE coupled to a corresponding event logic interface and operable to generate timing markers corresponding to signals received from the corresponding event logic interface;

a drive logic coupled to the plurality of DLEs operable to produce a first and a second formatted levels in response to said generated timing markers;

a response logic coupled to the plurality of DLEs operable to produce strobe markers in response to said generated timing markers; and

a loop-back circuit comprising:

a first MUX, wherein said first MUX receives said first formatted level, said second formatted level an above comparator high signal, and a first control input and outputs a first output signal to said response logic; and

a second MUX, wherein said second MUX receives said first formatted level, said second formatted level a below comparator low signal, and a second control input and outputs a second output signal to said response logic,

wherein a selection of control signals is operable to couple said produced first and said produced second formatted signals to said response logic.

10. The formatter of claim 9 wherein the formatter comprises a drive circuit, the drive circuit comprising a plurality of slices, each slice operative to receive an independent data stream and to produce a formatted level.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each slice comprises:

a plurality of event logic interfaces, each event logic interface capable of decoding signals received from the timing generation circuit;

a plurality of DLEs, each DLE coupled to a corresponding event logic interface and capable of generating timing markers corresponding to signals received from said corresponding event logic interface; and

a drive logic coupled to the plurality of DLEs and operative to produce formatted levels in response to said generated timing markers.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the number of event logic interfaces is 4 and the number of DLEs is 4.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the number of slices is 8.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the formatter comprises a response circuit, the response circuit comprising a plurality of slices, each slice operative to receive an independent data stream and to produce a strobe marker.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein each slice comprises:

a plurality of event logic interfaces, each event logic interface capable of decoding signals received from the timing generation circuit;

a plurality of DLEs, each DLE coupled to a corresponding event logic interface and capable of generating timing markers corresponding to signals received from said corresponding event logic interface; and

a response logic coupled to the plurality of DLEs and operative to produce strobe markers in response to said generated timing markers.