Driver sharing challenges for DDR4 high-volume testing with ATE

Abstract

The need for larger and faster memories has been a constant requirement in the last decades together with keeping memory costs constant or lower. This presents a significant challenge for cost effective memory testing, not only because of the increased data rates but also the pressure to keep memory testing costs down. This paper addresses one of these challenges, which is the development of driver-sharing designs to allow the development of DDR test solutions with a high number of sites. This paper will describe in detail the challenges that high-volume ATE testing of DDR4 presents in regard to driver sharing, allowing the test engineer to better grasp the problems associated with DDR4 high-volume ATE testing.