Low-Distortion Signal Generation for Analog/Mixed-Signal IC Testing Using Digital ATE Output Pin and BOST

This paper describes a low-distortion signal generation method which uses digital output pins and additional analog circuits. This combines digital signals (binary signals) delayed by different analog delay values and then suppresses specified harmonics, targeted for low cost and high quality testing of analog/mixed-signal ICs. We previously investigated a similar method, which uses a digital phase control and whose harmonics suppression is limited. Hence, here we propose an analog phase control method using trigonometric function calculation for substantial harmonics suppression. Controlling the amplitudes of sine and cosine waves, analog delay values can be controlled, based on the trigonometric function formula. Then by making them binary, rectangular waves with the delay values can be obtained. We present the principle, architecture and simulation results of our proposed method.