An overview of contemporary ´portable´ digital a.t.e. system architectures

The evolution of the `portable¿ or `benchtop¿ digital tester is briefly discussed in this paper in terms of the primary `drivers¿ which lead to its development. The analysis of three current `representative¿ portable digital a.t.e. system architectures is then provided and the impact each has on the six major functions common to any a.t.e. system design is briefly discussed. The paper also addresses the impact of the various architectures as they relate to the test program generation process. The paper then brieflydeals with the issue as to where digital benchtop/portable architectures appear to be headed and architectural improvements needed if the benchtop tester market is to realize its potential.