Presto Engineering Tests Ultra-Wideband and Impulse Radar Devices
November 1, 2013. – Presto Engineering Inc., a provider of back-end turn-key services, announced the availability of its Echo test solution, which implements functional testing of ultra wideband impulse radar devices (IR-UWB) on existing automated test equipment (ATE).
IR-UWB is a detection and ranging technology used in a wide variety of applications, from sensors for home monitoring systems to automotive parking assistance and collision avoidance systems. Rapid expansion of the application space has generated increasing demand for low-cost test capability. By implementing proprietary technologies on the tester load board, Presto’s Echo test solution allows manufacturers to functionally test their products, at speed/frequency, on existing test equipment, avoiding the major capital expenditures that would otherwise be required to replace those systems.
“Working closely with a leading customer in UWB impulse radar, we clearly understood the technical challenges to overcome in order to test at both wafer and final test at the lowest possible cost while still maintaining high test coverage,” said Cédric Mayor, vice president of technology and marketing for Presto Engineering. “With Echo we can test these chips in multisite configurations on a traditional mixed-signal RF ATE, cost-effectively supporting our customers’ ramp to high-volume production.”
The Echo test solution encompasses proprietary circuits and patterning technologies, implemented on production test load boards, and a library of flexible software routines, which, together, support UWB-related tests, including
- full-spectrum bandwidth and emission mask,
- receiver (RX) sensitivity, and
- fully-functional OOK modulation.
Mayor explained, “These tests are typically not supported by standard production testers since the wide spectrum requirement (>528 MHz) exceeds the capability of most ATE systems. With most UWB devices targeted for low-cost applications, test solutions like Echo, which leverage existing ATE and avoid large additional capital expenditures, will be a key enabler in the rapid and widespread deployment of IR-UWB technology.”
The technology is available now as part of Presto Engineering’s test and back-end turn-key solutions.