Re-examining the needs of the mixed-signal test community

The price of an increasing number of mixed-signal devices is presently being dominated by the cost of performing production testing. Probably the two most important factors affecting this cost are the direct cost of the test equipment and the time that a device-under-test (DUT) spends on that equipment. Another factor is the indirect cost incurred when test development time becomes the critical step in the manufacture of new devices. The cost of mixed-signal testers is exceedingly high on account of their requirement for both digital and analog test equipment with very high-performance capabilities. Moreover, the time the device spends on these testers can be on the order of minutes. The author discusses the problems outlined and makes some recommendations for the test community at large