SANTA CLARA, Calif.—July 14, 2004—Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857, NYSE: ATE), a global leader in semiconductor test systems, today debuted to the U.S. market its T7721 production test system for next-generation automotive and power integrated circuits (ICs). Representing the newest generation of test technology, the T7721 system’s design provides state-of-the-art performance and increased throughput by enabling highly accurate source and measurement functions, along with significantly faster overall test times. Completely compatible with Advantest’s entire family of logic and system-on-chip (SoC) test systems, the T7721 is a low-cost, highly reliable and high-performance test solution that meets the requirements for testing today’s and tomorrow’s complex automotive devices.
Semiconductor devices play an increasingly vital role in meeting consumer demands for more sophisticated functions in automobiles. More complex ICs will be responsible for delivering a greater proportion of the functionality of next-generation automobiles. New automotive devices have more digital control and many include boundary-scan and built-in-self-test (BIST) capabilities, which require much larger and faster pattern generators and memory. As device complexity rises, manufacturers need test equipment that will ensure low cost-of-test, while maintaining the automotive industry’s stringent quality standards.
According to Advantest America, Inc. President and CEO Keith Lee, Advantest is poised to meet the new and emerging market demands for both wafer-device test and packaged test requirements. “In the months ahead, our product portfolio will provide our customers with test solutions that meet the stringent requirements for testing automotive ICs, LCD driver ICs, optical and RF devices, as well as SoCs and other application-specific devices,” said Lee. “As Advantest celebrates its 50th anniversary, we will continue to develop and support the world’s most advanced test solutions for our customers’ ever-changing needs.”
“Advantest’s T7721 has integrated, designed-in parallel test that allows 16 parts to be tested in parallel,” noted Gary Fleeman, director of product engineering for Advantest America. “Particularly in the automotive industry, systems capable of parallel testing bring critical next-generation capabilities to the test floor. Because Advantest pioneered parallel test, the T7721 is unsurpassed in functionality and throughput. As a result, it is uniquely qualified to meet the automotive industry’s stringent requirements for testing high-voltage, high-current devices.”
The T7721 Test System
Advantest’s new automotive test solution is intended for use in testing power train (engine, transmission, brakes), safety control (accelerator, brakes), and body (door, body switches) devices. With its integrated parallel test capabilities, the T7721 is able to test 2, 4, 6, 8, or 16 parts in parallel—depending upon system and device configuration. The system provides up to 256 (18V) digital I/O channels and 256 (64V, 64mA) DC source/measure channels with a high performance matrix to allow either of these resources to be made available to a device-under-test (DUT) pin via a single connection on the test fixture. Also available are high-voltage (150V), high-power (20A), arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and digitizer options that can be user-specified to further extend testing capabilities. The T7721 uses Advantest’s Viewpoint software, which is completely compatible with Advantest’s entire family of logic and SoC test systems, creating a consistent test solution that minimizes training time and increases customers’ cost advantages.
About Advantest
Advantest Corporation is one of the world’s leading automatic test equipment suppliers to the semiconductor industry, and is also a producer of electronic and optoelectronic instruments and systems. A global company, Advantest has long offered total ATE solutions, and serves the industry in every component of semiconductor test: tester, handler, mechanical and electrical interfaces, and software. Its logic, memory, mixed-signal and RF testers, and device handlers, are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor fabrication lines in the world. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its North American subsidiary in 1982. Advantest America, Inc. and Advantest America R&D Center, Inc. are based in Santa Clara, Calif. Advantest America Measuring Solutions, Inc., based in Edison, N.J., distributes Advantest electronic measuring instrument products in North America. More information is available at http://www.advantest.com/ |
