Marvin Test, Rohde team up on 5G IC tester
Article By : Martin Rowe
Marvin Test Solutions combines it's DIO PXI products with Rohde's VNA and RF switch to form a complete 5G semiconductor test system.
As 5G moves into deployment, base stations, small cells, handsets, and industrial devices will need ICs that conform to standards. Getting those parts into the supply chain means IC manufacturers need automated test systems. Testing of radios, beamformers, amplifiers, and other parts operating at 28 GHz and 39 GHz as well as in the under 6 GHz bands requires vector-network analyzers (VNA) and digital I/O. In 5G test gears up, we noted that ATE companies are getting into the 5G game. Marvin Test Solutions has entered the arena by teaming up with Rohde & Schwarz on an ATE system for 5G ICs.
The system, to be called TS 900e-5G, brings together several major components:
- Rohde & Schwarz ZNBT40 24-port, 40 GHz VNA
- Marvin Test GX7205 PXI chassis that includes a dedicated 32 channel, 100/125 MHz DIO card per DUT and a GX3104 source-measure unit (SMU) per DUT
- Rohde & Schwarz OSP320, which adds four 1×6 switches for intermodulation tests
- Marvin test head with production interface that includes an interface for Seiko Epson 8040 quad site packaged device handler
Figure 1 shows the inside of the system, including cabling to the DUT interface.
Figure 1. The image on the left shows the major components inside the Marvin system (cover panels off). The right-side photo shows the test equipment connected to the test head. Image courtesy Marvin Test Solutions.
“Semiconductor test for 5G is ramping up,” said Marvin Test’s Jim Fraine. “This system combines a 24-port, 40 GHz VNA with our PXI digital I/O for communicating with the DUT.” A Rohde & Schwarz OSP320 RF switch connects the VNA to the test head and the DUT. The switch lets test engineers perform two-tone intermodulation distortion (IMD) testing. “We now have cabling and fixturing to 40 GHz for production test.” Figure 2 shows the instrumentation located under the test head.
Figure 2. RF cables connect the VNA (left) to the test head. Image courtesy Marvin Test Solutions.