Functional and electrical evaluation of digital ICs

Abstract

The first task when evaluating a component is to test all electrical properties: logic function, static parameters, dynamic parameters and some special properties. Because of the relatively small number of parts available for evaluation, no distributions or statistics are calculated; these are done later on incoming inspection. The purpose of evaluation is to obtain knowledge of all relevant properties of a component, even if these properties are not specified in the vendor’s data sheet. A thorough knowledge of all properties of all components is absolutely necessary to make a mature, faultless and safe design. Even if a design works without problems in a prototype, problems may occur later during production if there are any obscurities. So the results of evaluation tests are needed by the design engineers; and they are given by the evaluating engineers in form of application rules, or as recommendations.