Automated test system for modular instrumentation and system design

National Instruments' NI Semiconductor Test System (STS) series is a PXI-based automated test system for RF and mixed-signal devices by opening access to NI- and PXI modules in semiconductor production test environments.

August 5, 2014

National Instruments’ (Nasdaq: NATI) NI Semiconductor Test System (STS) series is a PXI-based automated test system designed to reduce test cost for RF and mixed-signal devices by opening access to NI- and PXI modules in semiconductor production test environments. STS lead users can perform both characterization and production with the same hardware and software tools, which decreases data correlation time and time to market.

The open, modular architecture of STS gives engineers access to PXI instrumentation, which is useful for RF and mixed-signal test. Powered by TestStand test management software and LabVIEW system design software, STS comes with a variety of features for semiconductor production environments, including a customizable operator interface, handler/prober integration, device-centric programming with pin-channel mapping, standard test data format reporting and integrated multisite support. With these features, engineers can quickly develop, debug and deploy test programs, shortening overall time to market. Additionally with the fully enclosed "zero-footprint" test head, standard interfacing and docking mechanics, STS comes ready to integrate into a semiconductor production test cell.

The STS series includes three different models named T1, T2 and T4, which accommodate one, two and four PXI chassis, respectively. These varying sizes, along with common software, instrumentation and interconnect mechanics across all STS models give engineers the ability to optimize for a wide range of pin-count and site-count requirements. Additionally, the scalability of STS makes it practical to deploy from characterization to production with the benefit of not only optimized cost, but greatly simplified data correlation to further shorten time to market.

National Instruments (NI)

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