Case Study: Holst Centre/imec accelerates ultra-low-power ASIC testing with National Instruments PXI Express automation

Structural and Memory Testing of Ultra-Low-Power ASIC Designs Using PXI Modular Instruments

Holst Centre/imec, an independent R&D centre, needed a flexible automated test system to verify and characterize their new ultra-low-power ASIC chip designs. Their challenge was to accurately measure current consumption down to the nano-ampere range while generating and acquiring digital data at high speeds, a task impossible to perform manually.

The solution from National Instruments (NI) used NI LabVIEW software and a PXI Express system with high-speed digital I/O devices and precision instruments. This automated system dramatically reduced testing time, taking less than three minutes per chip, and provided the fast, accurate current measurements required. NI's solution enabled the lab to successfully validate multiple projects, providing crucial data on power consumption during different chip operations.

Holst Centre/imec

Mario Konijnenburg

Holst Centre/imec