Paul R Hooper

US Patent:

6532559, Mar 11, 2003

Filed:

Jan 26, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/491433

Inventors:

Chung V. Pham - Austin TX
Paul J. Hooper - Round Rock TX
Mark A. Miller - Austin TX
Ross A. Alaspa - Austin TX
Casey Marshall - San Marcos TX

Assignee:

Motorola, Inc. - Schaumburg IL

International Classification:

G01R 3128

US Classification:

714729, 324765

Abstract:

The present invention relates to methods for performing integrated circuit testing and an apparatus therefore including a data analyzer, a test program server, a data storage unit, and testers. One embodiment includes providing a plurality of software switchable test programs and a first plurality of integrated circuits and running the software switchable test programs on the first plurality of integrated circuits. The method further includes collecting and storing data resulting from the test programs and providing a second plurality of integrated circuits where an analyzer program uses the collected and stored data to determine which of the software switchable tests are bypassable tests. In response to running the analyzer program, the test programs are automatically run without the bypassable tests on a first portion of the second plurality of integrated circuits.