An automated bench testing system for direct current parameters of instrumentation amplifiers

Abstract

Electrical testing is performed at multiple stages in the production of analog integrated circuits (ICs). An efficient system for low-volume IC testing is one that automates bench tests and provides good measurement precision and accuracy, while costing far less than the standard automated test equipment (ATE) used for high-volume manufacturing purposes. This thesis describes the design and implementation of an automated bench system for measuring the important direct current parameters associated with analog instrumentation amplifiers: voltage offset, input bias currents, input offset current, output swing, common mode rejection, power supply rejection, quiescent current and gain error. The system is developed on the PXI platform and consists of measurement and signal generating hardware modules, a Windows-based computer, a resource printed circuit board (PCB), a test-configuration PCB and LabVIEW-based software. The system is versatile and supports the testing of different instrumentation amplifier types and pin- outs. The performance of the system is characterized with respect to ATE results for the Texas Instruments instrumentation amplifier INA 126.