Testing highly integrated wireless circuits and systems with low cost tester: how to overcome the challenge?

The expensive ATE platform is very flexible and adequate for complex devices but costly. The upgrade cost is high enough if we like to cover a wide range of applications. We debate the best strategy in order to keep the test cost a small fraction of the total RF IC cost. This panel will focus on how the design for test at the board level is the key solution to cover a wide range of applications in the same test platform. It allows one to measure parameters impossible to measure with existing ATE. By using design for test at board level we avoid modification of the RF chip and confrontation with the designer. It is flexible and application or product oriented. The design for test can even allow testing of RF devices in a mixed signal or a digital tester.