Appeal No. 1997-4069 Page 2
Application No. 08/282,913
BACKGROUND
When debugging a computer system, a tester must first
identify a component that has failed. He can then test the
component to pinpoint the cause of the fault. When the faulty
component is an integrated circuit (IC), the IC is commonly
removed from the system and independently tested on automatic
test equipment. Recreating a fault can be difficult, however,
when the IC is tested independently. Furthermore, writing
software to drive the IC during testing can be slow and
laborious.
The invention at issue in this appeal tests an IC die
while it is operatively connected to and driven by the actual
computer system in which it is used. Such testing can detect
faults and errors caused by computer-system level problems
such as parasitic capacitance and slight differences in
expected voltages.
Claim 1, which is representative for our purposes,
follows:
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007