Test Technology Newsletter
September -- October, 1997
The Newsletter of the Test Technology Technical Committee of the IEEE Computer Society
Articles in this issue
Chairman's Message
ITC '97 Keynote Address and Invited Address
New Coordinates
ITC '97 Program Focus
ITC '96 Paper Awards Announced
ITC Test WeekTM '97 Preview
TTTC Database Task Force
TTTC Meetings at ITC Test Week '97
Newsletter Press Schedule
Membership Change Form
Test Engineering The Profession
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE
Service to the global test community
While increasing its depth by creating more complex products, the
electronics industry also continuously increases its global breadth. Today,
almost all major industry companies are augmenting their manufacturing and R&D facilities by opening foreign operations and thus have become truly global
corporations. This industry move to globalization has spawned multi-national
projects and has opened channels of interaction among experts around the world.
Wherever electronic manufacturing and R&D is planted, test
professionals flourish. In other words, the globalization of the high-tech
industry has resulted in a global distribution of test professionals. It should
not be surprising, then, that more than a third of TTTC's conferences and
workshops are held outside the United States. Moreover, those held in the USA
attract a surprising percentage of participation from outside the country. VLSI
Test Symposium, for example, attracted 22% non-US attendance in 1997. It
follows that a good percentage of TTTC membership is also non-US; indeed 33%
are from countries other than the United States.
TTTC has responded to industry globalization by regarding itself
as a truly global community. TTTC is committed to making its services
accessible both to and from a geographically wide area. TTTC is especially
active in Europe and Asia. Our Asian and European Groups have repeatedly shown
that they serve not only their own geographic communities with great
dedication, they also offer their services to the global TTTC membership. A
good example is the electronic distribution service for technical meeting
announcements, a project of TTTC's European Group. With this service, created
under the direction of Paolo PRINETTO, a TTTC meeting can email a
call-for-papers or advance program to 6000 test professionals.
We have just completed the initial phases of a significant new
step in our globalization efforts. I take great pleasure in announcing that
TTTC has expanded its presence in Latin America. Our leaders in this region,
Fabian VARGAS of Brazil and Victor CHEMPAC of Mexico, have provided invaluable
help in founding a new Latin American Group. In a short period, TTTC has
received the memberships of 32 professionals in Central and South America.
I would like to welcome our Latin American members and their
newly created group. On behalf of all of our members, I wish them success in
all the activities that they have already started to plan. Also, I would like
to congratulate and thank Fabian and Victor for their outstanding leadership in
founding the new group.
While we continue to increase the depth of TTTC activities, we
must not forget our global mission. We shall continue to increase our breadth
by ensuring that our services, proven so valuable to test professionals in the
USA, Europe and Asia, reach those members of our community who are in other
areas of the world.
Yervant Zorian, TTTC Chair
ITC Test WeekTM '97
HEALY, MAUNDER TO KICK-OFF ITC
TEST
VETERANS WILL SPEAK AT PLENARY SESSION
Keynoter envisions manufacturing known-perfect devices
A path to the known-perfect-device will be imaginable, states ITC
'97 keynote speaker James (Jim) T. HEALY, president and CEO of Genus
Corporation. Manufacturers of design tools, process diagnostic equipment and
ATE must cooperate in the synthesis of all available knowledge of the
semiconductor manufacturing process.
In his address, Future Management of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Process, Mr. Healy discusses the existing lack of integration and automation between the discrete design, process diagnostics, and testing processes required for semiconductor manufacture in an environment often thought to be chaotic. With CMOS technology, however, commonality in terms of design rules, architecture and fabrication processes will be easier to implement, says Healy, For the first time, the environment will be favorable for the development of a single design, monitor and test network.
ITC
Test Week activities run from November 1-6 at the Sheraton Washington Hotel.
Mr. Healy's address will be given at ITC's plenary session at 8:30 a.m. Monday,
November 3.
James T. Healy is the president and CEO of Genus Corporation, a
manufacturer of semiconductor fabrication equipment. Prior to joining Genus,
Mr. Healy was president and CEO of Credence Systems. In 1982 he co-founded and
served as president of the Trillium Corporation, which later merged with the
LTX Corporation. Earlier, he was Director of Operations for GenRad
Semiconductor Test, Inc. and worked for Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation's
Test Systems Division
Mr. Healy has a bachelor's degree and a master's of science
degree from California State University at Hayward, where he was also named
Alumni of the Year in 1996. He has published two books, served four years on
the Semiconductor Technical Advisory Committee of the Department of Commerce,
and is on the board of directors of several high-technology companies.
Invited speaker looks at society's relationship with
electronic machines
In his invited address, "Plug and Play" or "Plug
and Pray" - We Have a Right to Know It Will Work (or Why It Won't)?, Colin
MAUNDER, of BT Laboratories, explores the changing relationship between man and
electronic machines as we enter the next millennium. At home and at work we
will have a growing dependence upon an array of networks and services.
Customers will clearly expect this to be a plug-and-play future, says Maunder,
one where the latest gadget purchased will work alongside existing equipment.
The test engineering community faces challenges to achieve these goals.
Colin Maunder's test engineering career has spanned over 20
years, during which time he has worked on many aspects of the test problem from
chips to systems, and from design through to manufacture and service. He was a
key participant in the development of HITEST the first knowledge- based test
generator and was the design-for-test architect for several large IC circuit
designs developed at BT Labs. In 1986, he joined the Joint Test Action Group
(JTAG) the group that began development of boundary-scan standards and later
became chair of the technical subcommittee. On transfer standards work to the
IEEE, he became chair of the IEEE 1149.1 Working Group, and has been Emeritus
Chair since 1992. Mr. Maunder received the IEEE Standards Medallion and the
IEEE Computer Society Meritorious Service Award for his IEEE 1149.1 standard.
ITC Press Release
NEW COORDINATES
Changing Positions/Addresses
Yervant Zorian, TTTC Chair and Chief Technology Advisor,
LogicVision, Inc., has moved from Princeton, NJ to California.
Yervant's new coordinates are: Yervant Zorian, LogicVision, Inc. 101 Metro
Drive, 3rd floor, San Jose, CA 95110 USA. Tel: (408) 453-0146 x227, Fax: (408)
467-1180, E-mail: zorian@lvision.com
Wes Radcliffe has retired from IBM to start a new
business in Nebraska. His new coordinates are: Wesley E. Radcliffe, 3027 S.
27th St, Lincoln, NE 68502 USA. Tel: (402) 435-7400
Rob Roy, TTTC First Vice Chair, has accepted a position
at Intel. His coordinates are: Rabindra K. Roy, Intel Corp., JFT-102, 5200 NE
Elam Young Pkwy, Hillsboro, OR 97124-7467 USA. Tel: (503) 264-3738, Fax: (503)
264-9359, Email: robroy@ichips.intel.com
Carol Tong, IDDQ Test Workshop Chair, formerly with the
University of Colorado, is now at Sunrise Test. Carol's coordinates are: Carol
Tong, Viewlogic-Sunrise Test, 47211 Lakeview Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538-6530 USA.
Tel: (510) 445-4393, Fax: (510) 440-1080, Email: ctong@viewlogic.com
Keep in touch! If you are changing your position, address, email, etc., please let us know. Email your change to tttcnews@aol.com
ITC Test WeekTM in '97
ITC to focus on hot
topics
Mixed-signal test in spotlight
When International Test Conference convenes in Washington, D.C.
from November 3-5, it will offer an extensive seminar of four paper sessions
and a panel on the hot current topic of mixed-signal test. Leading mixed-signal
industrial practitioners and academic researchers will discuss measurement
techniques, DFT/BIST and application of the P1149.4 standard. Other noteworthy
program elements are lecture series on unpowered opens and diagnostics
of fault analysis and summaries of the hottest topics in probe technology.
Standing-room-only is predicted at the two sessions on testing
today's most advanced microprocessors, said ITC Program Chair Ben BENNETTS of
LogicVision. Talks on the Alpha 21164, PA8500, PentiumTM Pro, AMD-K6 and
PowerPCTM will be aired. Other sessions and panels will cover current and
emerging IEEE standards, embedded core test, board test, on-line testing and
the results of SEMATECH's test methods experiment.
This year's exhibition of the latest in test hardware, software
and services is overflowing the exhibit hall with the greatest number of
exhibitors ever. New products will be previewed during the day-long Exhibitors
Forum to be held on November 2, the day before the conference begins.
Tutorials and workshops fill-out ITC Test Week
"We are confident that the wealth of activities available
during Test Week will fully meet the needs of test and DFT professionals,"
said ITC General Chair Bill BRUCE of Motorola. "Chip, board and
system-level test topics will be covered. "
Sixteen tutorials sponsored by the Test Technology Technical
Committee of the IEEE Computer Society kick-off Test Week on November 1-2.
TTTC's tutorials span a broad range of test topics and experience. While some
are tailored for people who are new to a topic, others are intended for those
who are already knowledgeable and are looking for the latest advances in their
field. New for this year are tutorials on system-on-chip and ain on
board test.
Three workshops, hosted by ITC, conclude Test Week on November
5-6. The topics are: testing embedded core-based systems, the economics
of design, test and manufacturing, and IDDQ testing. The workshops,
designed to facilitate the exchange of information in an informal ambiance,
require separate registration.
A special seminar on case studies on test economics, will be
held at the beginning of Test Week, on November 2. The seminar is a companion
event to the economics of design, test and manufacturing workshop which is at
the end of the week on November 5-6.
ITC Press Release
ITC Test WeekTM '97
ITC '96 PAPER AWARDS
Intel authors capture Best Paper Award
Anne
MEIXNER and Jash BANIK of Intel Corporation will receive International Test
Conference's 1996 Best Paper Award for their paper entitled, Weak Write
Test Mode: an SRAM Cell Stability Design-for-Test Technique. In their winning
paper, Meixner and Banik describe a new test technique which attempts to
disturb a memory cell by a weak write pulse rather than by traditional methods.
Each year, ITC selects the best paper for a $2000 award and
recognition at the following year's conference. The Awards Selection
Committee's decision is based upon attendee evaluations and Program Committee
recommendations. This year, two papers have also been selected for $1000
Honorable Mention awards.
Honorable Mention awards go to Keith LOFSTROM of KLIC Corporation
for the paper Early Capture for Boundary Scan and to Melvin BREUER and
Sandeep GUPTA of the University of Southern California for their paper Process-Aggravated
Noise: New Validation and Test Problem.
ITC '96 Program Chair, Burnell WEST of Schlumberger Technologies,
will present the awards in the plenary session of ITC '97 at 8:30 a.m. on
Monday, November 3 at the Sheraton Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.
ITC Press Release
ITC Test WeekTM '97
28th ITC anchors Test Week
in Washington, D.C.,
November 1-6
International Test Conference features the most comprehensive
technical program available on the testing of integrated circuits, assemblies
and systems, plus an outstanding exhibition of leading-edge hardware and
software products from more than 120 companies.
ITC '97 will present 121 formal papers in 41 sessions, plus 12
panel sessions that allow audience interaction with test experts, social
functions that encourage professional networking, and an Exhibitors Forum where
exhibitors present their products and services. Also, integrated into the ITC
program are a test economics seminar and two lecture series sessions, one on
unpowered opens testing on boards and a second on diagnosis and failure
analysis at chip level.
Joining ITC in Test Week will be 16 test tutorials, three test
workshops, and numerous professional meetings. The tutorials, managed by TTTC,
cover many test topics. While some tutorials are designed for those new to
test, others are meant for experienced professionals who wish to augment or
refresh their knowledge. The workshops cover the topics of economics of design,
test and manufacturing; testing embedded-core-based systems; and IDDQ testing.
Since ITC Test Week brings together leading test professionals from around the
globe, it has become the place for meetings, including several of the most
important TTTC meetings. (See TTTC Meetings at ITC on page 4.)
Check the Test Week Web page at www.itctestweek.org or the ITC
Advance Program for detailed ITC Test Week information and schedules.
Task force studies TTTC database needs
Rabindra
(Rob) ROY, TTTC Senior Vice Chair, heads a Database Task Force charged with
studying TTTC's future database needs and proposing a plan to meet these needs.
The Task Force, appointed by TTTC Chair Yervant ZORIAN and approved by the TTTC
Operations Committee, includes members Paolo PRINETTO, Ed THOMAS, and Michael
NICOLAIDIS.
Needs and fragmentation drive DB issue
The database issue came to a head recently because of the
conjunction of several events and trends: First is the increasing needs within
TTTC to keep track of TTTC's many committees and technical meetings' customers
as well as the rapidly growing membership. Second, ITC recently split away from
the joint ITC/TTTC database that has served both entities for many years.
Finally, there are a growing number of new databases being created by TTTC
volunteer leaders to keep track of various TTTC activities. The result is an
uncoordinated collection of databases that can't communicate with each other,
duplication of maintenance and updating effort, and confusion all coming at a
time when TTTC's database needs are growing.
For many years TTTC shared a database with ITC. The joint
database was used to keep track of TTTC members, committees, history, etc. as
well as ITC's customers and exhibitors files. The database was also used for
registration for ITC and several other TTTC-sponsored meeting. This ITC/TTTC
database fulfilled TTTC's needs during that period. During 1996, ITC selected a
new vendor for office services. In making the transition to the new vendor, ITC
decided that their new services vendor should maintain only the files needed
for their operations. In addition to focusing TTTC's attention on its database
needs, ITC's decision required that TTTC take over full responsibility for the
former ITC/TTTC database.
Computer Society also anticipates DB issue
In a separate development, A.M. KELLY, Computer
Society Director of Volunteer Services, informed TTTC that the Computer Society
is considering the development of a consolidated DB for all Computer Society
activities. This effort appears to be in an early discussion stage. Speaking
for TTTC, Ed Thomas, who maintains the current TTTC database, said, the
Computer Society's initiative is a very welcome development. A user-friendly,
up-to-date, universal Computer Society database would greatly ease the burden
on TTTC and all other CS committees and would contribute greatly to the
Society's goals. TTTC recognizes, however, that it will be a major, long-term
project to determine and meet the database needs of the entire Society. The
TTTC Database Task Force will include the CS plans in their investigations.
In their discussions, TTTC's Operations Committee agreed that
database capabilities and performance will seriously affect TTTC's future
operational capability. Issues to be addressed by the Task Force will include:
<> What is the most appropriate DB solution for TTTC?
<> How can suborganization DBs be included in a TTTC DB?
<> If the Computer Society proceeds with the consolidated database
development,
how should TTTC participate?
<> How should TTTC solve its DB problems before the new CS DB is
available?
<> How can the present DB data be transferred to a new DB?
<> How can scripts for reports, queries, etc. be economically translated
to a new DB?
<> Can the DB be made accessible on the WWW?
<> What is the estimated cost and effort required?
The present TTTC Database is used to:
<> Keep track of members, committees, technical meetings,
technical meeting attendees, press, standard groups.
<> Provide up-to-date mail & contact lists for members, committees,
technical meetings, technical meeting attendees, etc.
<> Provide selective mail labels for mailings for TTTC activities.
<> Manage TTTC historical data.
<> Provide a flexible foundation for technical meeting registration.
<> Transfer member, committee and attendee data to other applications
such as publications (Call for Papers, Advance Programs, Proceedings, etc.),
e-mail lists, letter merge files.
<> Provide statistics, e.g., technical meeting statistics, member
statistics.
The current TTTC Database contains:
Contact data for approximately 12,000 people engaged in test
2,500 committee members and their positions
30,000 records in 7 relational files
27 years of TTTC/ITC historical data
The Database Task Force is expected to give an initial report on
the scope of the problem at the OpCom meeting at ITC in November. Any TTTC
member with applicable database experience who would like to contribute to this
project should contact Rabindra Roy, tel: (563) 264-3738, email: robroy@ichips.intel.com
Article written by Ed Thomas
_____________________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER PRESS SCHEDULE
TTTC Newsletter, in response to the requests of several
contributors, announces its press schedule for the last issue of 1997 and the
first three issues of 1998. The deadline for all articles will be the fifteenth
day every odd-numbered month. Here is the complete schedule, including some of
the items we plan to feature:
Issue Deadline Feature plans
Nov-Dec 1997 Nov 15 Wrap-ups - ITC, IddqW, TECSW, EDTMW, MCMW, TheminicW;
1998 tech meetings schedule
Jan-Feb 1998 Jan 15 1998 TTTC org. & plans; wrap-ups - ATS, HLDVT;
previews - VTS, ST&DW, Fault W, SPIW, EDTC
Mar-Apr 1998 Mar 15 previews - NATW, ETW, MSTW, RSPW
May-June 1998 May 15 Standards review; wrap-ups - VTS, ST&DW;
SWTW prevue
Test engineering, the profession
Why should engineers today consider
choosing test
engineering as a specialty?
In the past design engineers had the main responsibility for designing an electronic system* to meet requirements. When this was completed, they handed a completed design over to test engineers who tried to develop tests for the system before it was released to manufacturing. This method proved to be too costly in the long run, leading to many failures in the field and even more costly fixes.
Today test engineers work closely
with design engineers and program managers to develop system testing strategies
that enhance product quality and meet project budget and schedule requirements.
So what are the advantages of choosing test engineering?
Test engineers have the opportunity to work closely
with an entire project team, right from the start of system design, to develop
a test strategy from original breadboard or computer simulations through to
manufacturing and analysis of field returns. Often test engineers work on
several different projects at the same time, sometimes finding that what is
learned in one project can contribute to another. Frequently the test engineer
needs to understand a given design to a greater depth than the design engineers
since they have to test it to its limits and beyond, all in the confines of a
given budget and schedule.
Once the design/test development has been frozen, debug
testing and integration can start. In this process, test engineers frequently
use the best and most up-to-date test equipment available to help them complete
this phase of the project. Often they are intimately involved in the purchase
or lease of new equipment if what is already available is not adequate. When
the debug/rework/retest cycle is completed, manufacturing ATE is purchased,
adapted or built from scratch, with the intimate involvement of test engineers.
The new test systems are then integrated and debugged, and test procedures are
developed for manufacturing. During product manufacture, test engineers monitor
test results, analyze test data and field returns data and work with
manufacturing engineers to streamline the test process.
Some current test engineering issues include:
<> Full and/or Partial Scan Techniques (IEEE 1149.1), JTAG, Cross Check
<> Software and firmware testing
<> Built-In Self Test (BIST)
<> Design for Testability (DFT)
<> Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
<> IDDQ Testing, At-speed testing
<> Fault Coverage, Acceptable Defect Level (ADF)
<> Defects per Million (DFM), Mean-time between failure (MTBF),
Mean-Time Between Critical Failure (MTBCF), etc.
<> Optical Testing, X-Ray testing
<> Telecommunications Testing, Network System Testing
<> VXI plug & play
<> High-Power Testing
<> System-on-a-chip testing, Embedded-core testing
<> Mixed-signal testing
<> On-line testing
<> Bare Board and cable testing
Test engineers often take part in field-trials testing, fly a
system, take part in a system mission such as a ship, submarine, or battle
tank, or work as part of medical or clinical trials. These experiences
frequently offer opportunities to travel and are valuable in broadening one's
outlook.
For these reasons, test engineering is one of the most exciting
and challenging fields today and bodes to be even better in the 21st Century.
Test engineering requires knowledge and interaction with all other engineering
disciplines, often on a daily basis, on multiple projects, using the latest
test equipment.
Keeping current
In order to play in all these engineering arenas, a test engineer needs to constantly review the latest engineering technology advancements in not only test engineering but in all related engineering disciplines. This is a challenging, if not daunting task, but it keeps one's engineering skills constantly sharp.
Local colleges and universities as well as
various corporations offer courses, symposia, and users groups to help in this
task. Engineering trade journals, free to engineers, are also useful in keeping
up with the field.
Leading engineers say that one of the best ways to stay in touch
with the latest test and engineering technologies is to join and take an active
role in one or more professional organizations. For many test engineers and
researchers, Test Technology TC ideally serves that role as far as test is
concerned. Other good choices are the American Society of Test Engineers and
the International Test and Evaluation Association. To keep up with related
fields, many engineers join a broad spectrum engineering society such as the
IEEE.
So, keep up by making good use of your professional organization,
attending technical meetings and tradeshows, reviewing the technical journals
and trade magazines and cruising the internet including the WWW.
Article by Michael E. Keller, TTTC Associate Editor, Dynamics
Research Corporation, mkeller@s1.drc.com
NOTE: The original version of this article was published in the
newsletter of the American Society of Test Engineers, Vol. 3.3, July 1997
* The term electronic system is used loosely in this article for
anything from an IC, circuit board, or assembly, to a complete system such as a
computer system, telephone switching system, or missile guidance system.
EDITORIAL POLICY
This newsletter is the informal publication of the IEEE -Computer
Society Test Technology Technical Committee. We will publish all appropriate
material although editing may be necessary to meet space or typographical
constraints. Articles are not refereed unless so noted. Opinions are those of
the contributors and are not necessarily the opinions or positions of TTTC, the
IEEE, or the IEEE Computer Society.
Contributors who wish to have their employers name included with
their byline must specifically request it with their contribution. TTTC
Newsletter is not in any way responsible for any issues that may arise with the
employer or others as a result of a contribution to the newsletter.
Editor and Publisher: Ed Thomas
Associate Editor - Mike Keller
Associate Editor, D&T magazine - Don Lenhert
Associate Editor - Europe: Ian Dear
Associate Editor - Asia: Teruhiko
Yamada
SEND CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
Ed Thomas, Editor, TTTC Office, PO Box 629, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 USA. Tel: (814) 941-4669, Fax: (814) 941-4668.
E-mail: eddor@aol.com
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