Cadence, Advantest Team for Zero-Defect Auto Chip Testing
By Ann Steffora Mutschler -- EDN, December 6, 2006
To allow faster time-to-market and more complete testing of complex digital devices for new automobiles, EDA market leader Cadence Design Systems Inc. and automatic test equipment supplier Advantest Corp. are partnering to create a methodology for zero-defect testing of digital automotive electronics.
Diverging sharply from their analog roots, automotive manufacturers today are driving their suppliers to advanced semiconductor technology in support of high-value automotive applications, the companies reminded.
Automotive manufacturers are also demanding just-in-time delivery and zero defects for risk reduction. This combination of factors requires a faster, more accurate testing methodology to achieve the same high quality and low risk.
Through the collaboration, Advantest’s automated test equipment (ATE) platforms can now be combined with traditional analog part average testing (PAT) techniques with the small delay defect detection capabilities of Cadence’s Encounter True-Time Test software for single-pass test methodologies for zero-defect testing of digital parts.
Sanjiv Taneja, VP of R&D for Encounter Test at Cadence concluded in a statement, “Although this is a deep collaboration, from the standpoint of the automotive design chain, it has important benefits not just for Cadence and Advantest, but for our customers, their customers, and ultimately the individual car buyer. By ensuring the quality of digital electronics in automobiles, we ensure the reliability of a dozen or more major components in every new car.”
