Model based testing for electronic devices

1. A model-based method for testing compliance of production devices with performance specifications of a device design, the production devices manufactured in accordance with the device design by a manufacturing process, the method comprising:

developing a simple model form based on the device design and the performance specifications, the model form comprising a basis function and model form parameters for the basis function, the model form parameters being manufacturing process dependent and differing in value among the production devices;

specifying a stimulus for testing the production devices;

testing each production device, the testing comprising:

measuring a response of the production device to the stimulus,

using the model form, extracting the values of the model form parameters for the production device from the measured response and the stimulus, and

checking compliance of the production device with the performance specifications using the extracted values of the model form parameters; and

classifying ones of the production devices as good or bad based on said compliance checking.

2. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising defining projection functions for projecting performance metrics for the production device from the extracted values of the model form parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 , in which the checking comprises:

using the projection functions, projecting the performance metrics for the production device from the extracted values of the model form parameters; and

checking compliance of the performance metrics with respective ones of the performance specifications.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which:

the method additionally comprises:

inserting the extracted values of the model form parameters for the production device into the model form to form a behavioral model of the production device, and

projecting performance metrics for the production device using the behavioral model; and

the checking comprises checking compliance of the performance metrics with respective ones of the performance specifications.

5. The method of claim 4 , in which the projecting comprises:

applying a conventional stimulus to the behavioral model;

determining a response of the behavioral model to the conventional stimulus; and

determining one of the performance metrics from the stimulus and the response.

6. The method of claim 4 , in which:

the conventional stimulus is simulated; and

the determining comprises calculating the response of the behavioral model to the simulated stimulus to provide the one of the performance metrics.

7. The method of claim 1 , in which:

the method additionally comprises transforming the performance specifications of the device design into a model form parameter space; and

the checking comprises checking compliance of the extracted values of the model form parameters with the performance specifications transformed into the model form parameter space.

8. The method of claim 1 , in which the basis function comprises a non-linear equation.

9. The method of claim 1 , in which the basis function has fewer than one hundred model form parameters.

10. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising verifying the model form.

11. The method of claim 10 , in which the developing and the verifying are performed using different sets of devices in accordance with the device design.

12. The method of claim 10 , in which the verifying is performed using simulated devices in accordance with the device design.

13. A method of generating a model-based testing protocol for testing compliance of production devices with performance specifications of a device design, the production devices manufactured in accordance with the device design by a manufacturing process, the method comprising:

developing a model form based on the device design and the performance specifications using a computer, the model form comprising a basis function and model form parameters for the basis function, the model form parameters being manufacturing process dependent and differing in value among the production devices;

using the model form, specifying a stimulus for use in testing the production devices;

incorporating the model form and a specification of the stimulus into the testing protocol; and

storing the testing protocol for later testing of the production devices.

14. The method of claim 13 , additionally comprising:

defining projection functions for projecting performance metrics for the production devices from the values of the model form parameters; and

adding the projection functions to the testing protocol.

15. The method of claim 13 , in which the defining comprises:

providing development devices;

defining an initial projection function;

determining whether a performance metric projected for the development devices using the initial projection function matches a corresponding performance metric measured on the development devices with acceptable accuracy;

modifying the projection function when the accuracy is unacceptable; and

iterating the determining and the modifying until the accuracy is acceptable.

16. The method of claim 13 , additionally comprising:

transforming the performance specifications of the device design into a model form parameter space; and

adding the transformed performance specifications to the test protocol.

17. The method of claim 13 , in which the developing comprises:

providing development devices;

selecting an initial non-linear equation set based on the device design, the equation set comprising model form parameters;

modeling the development devices using the equation set and values of the model form parameters extracted from stimulus/response data obtained from the development devices using the equations;

determining whether the modeling models behavior of the development devices with acceptable accuracy.

18. The method of claim 17 , additionally comprising:

modifying the initial equation set when the accuracy is unacceptable; and

iterating the modeling, the determining and the modifying until the accuracy is acceptable.

19. The method of claim 17 , in which the modeling comprises:

obtaining stimulus/response data for the development devices;

extracting values of the model form parameters from the stimulus/response data using the equation set; and

inserting the extracted values of the model form parameters into the equation set to create behavioral models.

20. The method of claim 17 , in which:

the manufacturing process is characterized by process parameters having respective ranges; and

the development devices are devices manufactured using the manufacturing process with ones of the process parameters having different values within the respective ranges.

21. The method of claim 17 , in which:

the manufacturing process is characterized by process parameters having respective ranges; and

the development devices are simulated devices defined to account for the ranges of the process parameters.

22. The method of claim 13 , in which the specifying comprises:

selecting initial stimulus waveforms;

determining whether a stimulus defined by the initial stimulus waveforms is capable of generating stimulus/response data from which the values of the model form parameters can be extracted with acceptable efficiency;

modifying the selection of the stimulus waveforms when the efficiency is unacceptable; and

iterating the determining and the modifying until the efficiency is acceptable.

23. The method of claim 13 , in which the basis function comprises a non-linear equation.

24. The method of claim 13 , in which the basis function has fewer than one hundred model form parameters.

25. A method for model-based testing of compliance of production devices with performance specifications of a device design, the production devices manufactured in accordance with the device design by a manufacturing process, the method comprising:

receiving a test protocol for testing the production devices, the protocol comprising a simple model form based on the device design and the performance specifications, the model form comprising a basis function and model form parameters for the basis function, and a specification of a stimulus for use in testing the production devices, the model form parameters being manufacturing process-dependant and differing in value among the production devices;

testing each production device in accordance with the test protocol, the testing comprising:

measuring a response of the production device to the stimulus,

using the model form, extracting values of the model form parameters for the production device from the measured response and the stimulus, and

checking compliance of the production device with the performance specifications using the values of the model form parameters; and

classifying ones of the production devices as good or bad based on said compliance checking.

26. The method of claim 25 , in which:

the testing additionally comprises projecting the performance metrics for the production device from the extracted values of the model form parameters; and

the checking comprises checking compliance of the performance metrics with respective ones of the performance specifications.

27. The method of claim 26 , in which the projecting comprises:

inserting the extracted values of the model form parameters for the production device into the model form to form a behavioral model of the production device;

projecting the performance metrics using the behavioral model.

28. The method of claim 27 , in which the projecting comprises:

applying a conventional stimulus to the behavioral model; and

determining a response of the behavioral model to the conventional stimulus to obtain one of the performance metrics.

29. The method of claim 28 , in which:

the conventional stimulus is simulated; and

the determining comprises calculating the response of the behavioral model to the simulated stimulus to provide the one of the performance metrics.

30. The method of claim 26 , in which:

the test protocol additionally comprises projection functions for projecting the performance metrics for the production device from the extracted values of the model form parameters; and

the projecting comprises projecting the performance metrics for the production device using the projection functions.

31. The method of claim 26 , in which:

the measuring is performed using an automatic tester; and

the projecting is performed externally of the automatic tester.

32. The method of claim 26 , in which the measuring and the projecting are performed using an automatic tester.

33. The method of claim 25 , in which:

the test protocol additionally comprises the performance specifications of the device design transformed into a model form parameter space; and

the checking comprises checking compliance of the extracted values of the model form parameters with the performance specifications transformed into the model form parameter space.

34. The method of claim 25 , in which, in the measuring, no more than one stimulus is applied to the production device.

35. The method of claim 25 , in which the testing is performed using an automatic tester.

36. The method of claim 25 , in which:

the testing is performed using an automatic tester; and

the extracting is performed externally of the automatic tester.

37. The method of claim 25 , in which the testing and the extracting are performed using an automatic tester.