This paper focuses on test cost reduction for RF circuits based on the use of an indirect test strategy. The implementation of a two-tier adaptive test flow is investigated, in which only circuits with a sufficient prediction confidence level are evaluated by the indirect test while others are re-evaluated by specification-based test. A methodology is presented that permits to explore different tradeoffs between test quality and test cost and to make pertinent choices for the efficient implementation of such a test flow. The methodology is applied to a front-end RF circuit designed for WLAN applications and results show that substantial test cost reduction can be achieved without compromising the test quality.

本文着重于基于间接测试策略的使用来降低射频电路的测试成本。研究了两层自适应测试流程的实现，其中只有具有足够预测置信度水平的电路才通过间接测试进行评估，而其他电路则通过基于规范的测试进行重新评估。提出了一种方法，该方法允许探索测试质量和测试成本之间的不同折衷，并为有效实施这种测试流程做出相关选择。该方法应用于为WLAN应用设计的前端RF电路，结果表明，可以在不影响测试质量的前提下，大幅降低测试成本。