1. NI enters semi test market. Beginning of the
end for big-iron ATE?
Larry Desjardin - August 07, 2014
NI Week in early August marks the annual migration of National Instrument (NI) users to Austin,
Texas to learn about the latest products and applications. Joining them are a myriad of NI partners
and developers, and me – your humble correspondent. Last year I wrote about NI’s strategy being
the quintessential platform play. By rigorous alignment to a few key platforms, NI is able to address
an impressively wide set of applications. For automated testing, those key platforms are essentially
PXI and LabView. Those insights on NI’s strategy are just as relevant today, so if you need a primer,
you can find it here.
While the weather for this NI Week was cooler than years before, the product introductions
remained hot. Top of the list was NI’s entry into semiconductor ATE.
Whoa! You read that right. NI is joining the ranks of Advantest and Teradyne in offering solutions
for semiconductor testing, both for design validation and manufacturing. As a side note, your
humble correspondent is feeling a little less humble today, as I suggested modular-based testers
would do exactly this in 2012, and most recently in 2013.
Well, let’s take a look at the tester…
The first thing to note is that the offering is actually three testers, all based on PXI internally. The
T1, T2, and T4 systems support one, two, or four PXI chassis, located under the load board. The
systems are focused on mixed-signal and RF testing, in both development and manufacturing
applications. An embedded controller running a semiconductor-specific variant of NI TestStand is
the brains of the system.
2. Being based on PXI, one could imagine any arbitrary set of PXI modules to be used. Indeed, that is
the case. However, NI is clearly aiming the system at mixed-signal and RF test, where big-iron ATE
has the most challenges. To wit, NI introduced four new PXI instruments simultaneously. They are:
14-bit, 250 MS/s, 300 MHz, 8-channel oscilloscope
26.5 GHz high-performance RF vector signal analyzer
12-bit, 2 GS/s, 2 GHz intermediate frequency digitizer
12.5 Gb/s, 8 TX/8 RX lane high-speed serial instrument
They are all described by NI as “software-designed instruments”. That is, each has a user-definable
FPGA that can be customized by the developer using LabView FPGA, a technique I described in
more detail last year. While these modules are intentionally designed to be dual purpose, that is,
used in a standard PXI system or embedded in the semiconductor ATE, this is clearly a key
competitive advantage NI believes they have to address the semiconductor market.
Let me give an example. On the exhibit floor I spoke to Mauro Arigossi, CEO of Alfamation, a test
platform provider and system integrator. Alfamation focuses on the testing of automotive and
consumer electronics. Each is characterized by a wide set of serial protocols that must be tested, or
at least operated, to test the rest of the DUT (Device Under Test). Mauro told me that Alfamation
uses the NI FlexRIO modules (those with a customizable FPGA) to create a portfolio of real time
serial instruments to interface with these unique serial ports. This is essentially the same challenge
as in the semiconductor testing where protocol-aware DUTs need similar capabilities. NI’s
introduction of a 8-lane serial instrument brings this capability to higher speeds, as evidenced by
CPRI emulation being shown at one NI exhibit.
I spoke with Luke Schreier, Senior Manager at NI, about the product. He stated that NI has been
successful in design validation of mixed signal ICs with their standard PXI platform, and this was an
opportunity to explicitly address manufacturing, both of wafers and packaged parts. NI won’t be
doing final system integration, that will still be left to partners or sophisticated end users. That said,
Luke pointed out that by standardizing on much of the mechanics, such as the load boards and
handler interfaces, they can now create an ecosystem around these that make their integrators and
users more productive. When asked about their competitive advantage, Luke replied that it was
essentially the same as for PXI: a robust ecosystem of modules, open system, and flexibility. Of
course, LabView and flexible FPGAs on the modules are an additional competitive advantage they
maintain above the PXI standard by itself. Finally, Luke disclosed that NI has had an active beta
program, including at least one single user who was testing upwards of ½ million parts per day.
Remarkably enough, I had an unplanned meeting with one of the users on the show floor, Dale
Hensley, Business Unit Manager of RF and Semiconductor at Ball Systems. He described the system
as “perfect for RF”, as it supported multi-site test, while integrating RF and semiconductor test
techniques. He has developed both design validation and manufacturing test applications using the
NI STS system. He gave as an example a 144-pin mixed signal device that included a
microprocessor, several serial links, three A/D converters, a multiplexer, and a DC power regulator.
This system has already been delivered to the final end user.
A chance to speak with "Dr. T"
While discussing the STS with Dale on the show floor, James Truchard, President, CEO, and
cofounder of National Instruments wandered by and joined our conversation. Hey- I may not have a
journalism background, but if I have a name badge that says “PRESS” on it, and a CEO comes up to
me, I’m going to conduct an interview right there. “Dr. T”, as he is called by employees, was happy
3. to answer my questions. So, EDN readers, here is an exclusive interview with Dr. T:
What does this entrance into semiconductor test mean for your company?
Dr. T described technical “convergence” giving NI this opportunity. He pointed out that traditional
semiconductor ATE has a “big envelope, even for a few pins”. This was driven by big parallel digital
DUTs needing big–iron solutions. But “Systems on a Chip with integrated A/Ds have changed the
rules how ATE systems should be built”. This change, which Dr. T described as a “convergence”
matches the platform architecture NI has.
Semiconductor test is notoriously volatile, how will Wall Street accept your entrance into this
market?
Dr. T says that the investors “have known us for years” and are appreciative that NI has a “broader
base” than traditional semiconductor ATE. Due to NI’s broad base of applications, NI is “more
resilient” and supports a “better cost structure” than dedicated ATE vendors. In fact, all the internal
PXI modules are also sold on the wider test and measurement market, further reducing volatility.
What do you see as your key competitive advantages?
Continuing with the theme of the leverage of PXI modules, Dr. T pointed out that this now gives NI
“the ability to go from the lab to manufacturing” using the same products and software. This has
been the “holy grail for the past decade” in semiconductor test, and NI is now going to deliver on it.
Dr. T also noted the individual advantages of certain modules. The 26.5GHz VSA (vector signal
analyzer) sports 765MHz of bandwidth. Though not the center of semiconductor testing, “we can
now do work in real time spectrum analysis” by deploying one or multiple VSAs, all customizable
with a user-configurable FPGAs.
Summary.
So, there you have it. The PXI ecosystem, which has been a disruptor to the traditional automated
test market, is now a challenger to semiconductor ATE. Personally, I think mixed-signal and RF
semi testing will definitely go to this new model. In fact, I gave the keynote talk at Silicon Valley
Test Workshop in August 2012, where I made this exact prediction. I noted there that if you look at
three axis: DUT integration, lifecycle, and amount of digital and analog testing, you will see that big-iron
is optimized for one combination- manufacturing test of digital ICs. Once you deviate from that
combination on any axis, the value proposition of big-iron testers becomes much weaker, and is at
risk.
And that presents on opportunity for a disruptive change. NI has seized it. The question now is who
else may seize it too. If you are an incumbent big-iron vendor, your natural response may be to try
to invalidate the architecture in the customer's mind through marketing presentations. That would
be a grave mistake. If you are tempted to do this, do your company a favor, and read this first.
Don't become a case study along with Swiss watch makers.
See also:
National Instruments adds to its platforms
