Method and circuit arrangement for testing electrical modules

1. A method for testing electrical modules, comprising:

applying a test pattern of input signals to each module;

applying the same test pattern to a reference module, wherein the reference module is of the same design and technology as the electrical modules being tested;

wherein each electrical module and the reference module are digital data memories each containing a multiplicity of addressable memory cells and having data ports to input data bits to be stored in a write mode and to output stored data bits in a read mode;

wherein each data port in the electrical modules and in the reference module comprises a bidirectional port arranged between an assigned external data terminal and an assigned internal data line, the bi-directional port comprising:

a reception transfer channel that can be switched on selectively for data bits to be written;

a transmission transfer channel that can be switched on selectively for reading-out data bits; and

a switching device provided for each data port in each electrical module, wherein the switching device, in a first switching state, switches on the reception transfer channel and inhibits the transmission transfer channel and, in a second switching state, switches on the transmission transfer channel and inhibits the reception transfer channel, wherein the switching device is changeable into a third state in which the reception transfer channel and the transmission transfer channel remain interrupted, the internal data line remain connected to the actual response input of the assigned comparator and the external data terminal remain connected to the desired response input of the assigned comparator;

wherein the test pattern comprises data bits that are applied together with a write command and with addressing signals to the electrical modules and to the reference module to write the data bits to addressed memory cells of both the reference module and the electrical modules;

wherein the test patterns are applied utilizing a common test control unit, which, for writing in the data bits of the test pattern, applies the same pattern of write addressing signals for the selection of the memory cells to each electrical module and to the reference module, and for reading from the memory cells filled with the data bits of the test pattern, applies the same pattern of read addressing signals to each electrical module and to the reference module;

comparing, utilizing a comparison device, actual responses of each module to the test pattern with desired responses to the test pattern provided by the reference module, wherein the comparing produces a comparison result, wherein the comparison device includes a comparator for each data port of the electrical module, wherein the comparator compares a signal appearing at a relevant data port of the respective electrical module as actual response with the desired response at the corresponding data port of the reference module; and

evaluating the comparison result to produce a test assessment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparison result is determined by a time integral of a magnitude of an amplitude difference between the actual response and the desired response over a selected integration duration.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

indicating the test assessment as not passed if a value of the time integral determined is higher than a preselected threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference module has been previously tested utilizing a precision test device.

5. A circuit arrangement for testing electrical modules, comprising:

a test pattern generator for generating a preselected test pattern of input signals for each electrical module to be tested;

a reference module that is produced with same design and technology as the electrical modules and tested as entirely satisfactory configured to receive the preselected test pattern and supply desired responses to the preselected test pattern;

wherein each electrical module and the reference module are digital data memory circuits each containing a multiplicity of addressable memory cells and having data ports to input data bits to be stored in a write mode and to output stored data bits in a read mode,

wherein the test pattern generating device is configured to generate the test pattern as a pattern of data bits for writing to the memory cells, and

wherein each data port in the electrical modules and in the reference module comprises a bidirectional port arranged between an assigned external data terminal and an assigned internal data line, the bi-directional port comprising:

a reception transfer channel that can be switched on selectively for data bits to be written;

a transmission transfer channel that can be switched on selectively for reading-out data bits; and

a switching device provided for each data port in each electrical module, wherein the switching device, in a first switching state, switches on the reception transfer channel and inhibits the transmission transfer channel and, in a second switching state, switches on the transmission transfer channel and inhibits the reception transfer channel, wherein the switching device is changeable into a third state in which the reception transfer channel and the transmission transfer channel remain interrupted, the internal data line remain connected to the actual response input of the assigned comparator and the external data terminal remain connected to the desired response input of the assigned comparator;

a comparison device for comparing actual responses to the test pattern by the electrical modules with the desired responses, wherein the comparison device includes a comparator for each data port of the electrical module, wherein the comparator compares a signal appearing at a relevant data port of the respective electrical module as actual response with the desired response at the corresponding data port of the reference module;

an evaluation device connected to the comparison device for supplying test assessments in a manner dependent on the comparison results; and

a common test control unit, which, for writing in the data bits of the test pattern, applies the same pattern of write addressing signals for the selection of the memory cells to each electrical module and to the reference module, and for reading from the memory cells filled with the data bits of the test pattern, applies the same pattern of read addressing signals to each electrical module and to the reference module.

6. The circuit arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine a time integral of a magnitude of an amplitude difference between each respective actual response and desired response over a selected integration duration.

7. The circuit arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the evaluation device generates an error signal when a value of the time integral determined is higher than a preselected threshold value.

8. The circuit arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the test pattern generating device comprises a separate test pattern generator for each electrical module and for the reference module.

9. The circuit arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the test pattern generators are integrated in the electrical modules and in the reference module.

10. The circuit arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the test pattern generating device comprises a single common test pattern generator for the electrical modules and the reference module.

11. The circuit arrangement of claim 5 , wherein each external data terminal is fixedly connected to the desired response input of the assigned comparator.

12. The circuit arrangement of claim 11 , wherein each reception transfer channel comprises a reception data driver that can be switched on and off and each transmission transfer channel comprises a transmission data driver that can be switched on and off, further comprising:

a test data driver that can be switched on and off arranged between each internal data line and the actual response input of the assigned comparator, wherein the switching device includes a switching control device which, in response to a write command, generates first switching signals for switching on the reception data drivers and, in response to a read command, generates second switching signals for switching on the transmission data drivers and, in response to a test read command, generates third switching signals for switching on the test data drivers.

13. The circuit arrangement of claim 11 , wherein each reception transfer channel comprises a reception data driver that can be switched on and off and each transmission transfer channel comprises a transmission data driver that can be switched on and off, wherein the switching device, in each data port, comprises:

a changeover switch which, in a first state, connects the output of the transmission data driver to the external data terminal and, in a second state, connects the output of the transmission data driver to the actual response input of the assigned comparator, and

a switching control device, which, in response to a write command, generates first switching signals for switching on the reception data drivers and, in response to a read command, generates second switching signals for switching on the transmission data drivers and for setting the changeover switches into the first state and, in response to a test read command, generates third switching signals for switching on the transmission data drivers and for setting the changeover switches into the second state.

14. The circuit arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the switching control device is integrated within each respective electrical module.

15. The circuit arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the comparators are integrated in the electrical modules.

16. The circuit arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the evaluation device, for each comparator, includes a separate evaluation circuit integrated in each respective electrical module.