ATE vendor Advantest earlier this week unveiled its latest memory tester, one geared for multi-chip package testing.

The T5587 features a two-station configuration that enables a parallel-test capacity of up to 512 devices, namely discrete NAND and multi-chip package (MCP) memory devices. These particular types of devices are high demand, thanks to the consumer electronics market, according to Advantest. There is a growing demand for application-specific MCP memory devices, which enable optimal combinations of SDRAM with every type of flash memory, the company said. However, the specific characteristics, operating speeds, and pin counts of MCPs vary widely -- making the test function a considerable challenge, and forcing manufacturers to incorporate multiple testers into their operations, Advantest observed.

Its T5587 memory tester addresses this problem, offering high-throughput capability for DDR-SDRAM, NOR and NAND flash memory test needs, the ATE vendor claimed. The tester offers a maximum test speed of 200MHz (400Mbps in DDR mode), which supports MCPs, enabling incorporation of newer, faster types of flash memory such as DDR-SDRAM and NOR.