Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-02
2002-08-27
Le, N. (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
active
06441631
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for testing electronic devices. Specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for final functional system level testing of processors.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Functional tests (FCT) are performed on a wide variety of processors to ensure that they are capable of performing their intended functions in an environment resembling as close as possible, an intended environment of the processor. Consequently, functional testing of the processor is often performed in a test station that possesses the basic setup of a targeted computer system, such as a personal computer. As shown in
FIG. 1
, this test station includes a base fixture
110
, a motherboard
120
, a heat sink
130
having a latch
140
, and a processor to be tested
150
. A plurality of card slots
160
, such as memory card slots, are mounted in the motherboard
120
to appropriately configure the test station. Various other computer system components, such as a power supply and hard drive, necessary to build and configure a conventional computer system are known to those of skill in the art and are not elaborated upon herein.
In conventional functional tests, such as those using an Aavid™ heat sink designed for Athlon™ processor modules, a technician inserts processor
150
into position between guide posts
155
positioned at either end of the processor
150
. The heat sink
130
, often including a fan
135
, is attached to the processor
150
using a latch
140
after a technician manually places the heat sink
130
in contact with the processor module
150
. After attachment of the heat sink
130
to the processor
150
, the functional test is performed. The functional test often involves simply booting up the processor
150
to be tested to ensure that it is able to support operation of an installed operating system, such as Windows™. If the processor
150
is able to load or boot up the operating system, the processor
150
passes the functional test. This usually occurs within about two minutes, but requires more or less time according to the processor
150
speed and operating system characteristics. If the processor
150
hangs up during the test, it fails the functional test.
However, the conventional functional test method and apparatus suffer from several problems. First, misalignment of the heat sink
130
causes less than optimal thermal transfer of heat away from the processor
150
to the heat sink
130
. This misalignment causes the processor
150
to operate at a higher than nominal temperature and results in a higher failure rate than that of properly aligned heat sinks
130
. Therefore, such misalignment adversely affects processor
150
throughput. Second, manual attachment of the heat sink
130
causes scratch marks on the processor
150
due to rubbing of the heat sink
130
against and/or latch
140
against the processor
150
during installation of the heat sink
130
against the processor
150
. Although these scratch marks are not a functional concern, the appearance of the processor is compromised and sometimes results in a functional processor
150
being declared as a reject. Thus, scratch marks also affect processor
150
throughput.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, a method and an apparatus is needed to improve processor functional test pass rates and throughput.
In one aspect, the invention provides a processor test apparatus comprising a base, a plurality of guide posts attached to the base to retain a processor, at least one of the plurality of guide posts including a heat sink guide, and a heat sink. A heat sink clamp having a guide member is attached to the heat sink. The heat sink guide member moves within a heat sink guide, permitting relative motion of the heat sink toward and away from a processor retained by the guide posts.
In another aspect, the invention provides a processor test apparatus comprising a base and a first guide post and a second guide post attached to the base in opposition to one another. Each guide post extends in a first direction, away from the base, and includes a respective first opening and second opening extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Also included are a first heat sink clamp and a second heat sink clamp, each including a guide member insertable in a respective one of the first opening and second opening. The first heat sink clamp and second heat sink clamp, and a heat sink attachable thereto, are movable relative to the first guide post and second guide post by a corresponding movement of the guide members in the openings.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method for testing a processor comprising inserting a processor to be tested within a test station, sliding a heat sink module including at least one of a heat sink and a fan along a guide toward the processor to be tested, abutting the heat sink module against the processor to be tested, latching the heat sink module to the processor to be tested, and performing a functional test of the processor to be tested.
Additional features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein only preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention encompasses different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6157539 (2000-12-01), Wagner et al.
patent: 6205023 (2001-03-01), Moribe et al.
patent: 6219241 (2001-04-01), Jones
patent: 6332792 (2001-12-01), Lin et al.
Chew Ke Siong
Chuan Koh Hock
Kwang Loh Yeow
Shan Chen Kah
Advanced Micro Devices , Inc.
Le N.
LeRoux Etienne P
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