Universal pin electronics BIT application

The concept of universal pin electronics (UPE), i.e. digital and analog stimuli and measurement capability in each test channel, has been discussed for some years. The advantages of this tester-per-pin architecture are well known; they include higher speed, reduced size and cost, and test program preparation savings. Standardized chip sets have been built to optimize advantages in size, weight, and cost. One such five-chip set has been thoroughly tested and is fully operational. Current efforts should reduce this five-chip set to a three-chip set during 1988; an even further reduction into a single-chip per channel is now possible. The evolution of UPE technology is discussed, including its possible applications for built-in test