Innovation to overcome limitations of test equipment

In this contribution, we describe current developments in the automatic test equipment (ATE) industry with respect to the hardware and software. For testing mixed-signal interface devices, such as digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters (DACs and ADCs) the standard test setups are examined. In particular, limitations are identified that lead to exponentially increasing test time for high-resolution converters. Examples of innovative approaches to keep this test cost increase at bay are outlined.