THANG D NGUYEN, MD
Radiology at Warner Ave, Santa Ana, CA

6351827, Feb 26, 2002

Oct 30, 2000

09/702018

Ramon S. Co - Trabuco Canyon CA
Tat Leung Lai - Torrance CA
Thang Nguyen - Santa Ana CA

Kingston Technology Co. - Fountain Valley CA

H02H 305

714 42, 714 29

Margin testing of memory modules uses a personal computer (PC) motherboard. A test adaptor board has a test socket that receives a memory module under test. Pins from the test adaptor board are plugged into holes of a removed memory-module socket on the motherboard, mounted on the reverse, solder side of the motherboard. The test adapter board has a voltage regulator that controls the power-supply (Vcc) voltage applied to the module under test. A delay circuit on the test adapter board varies the phase delay of a clock to the memory module under test. Margin control signals are generated by a controller card in the PCs expansion slots, to control Vcc and clock delay to the module under test without changing the motherboards Vcc voltage. The test program executing on the PC motherboard writes to the controller card to adjust voltage and delay, allowing Vcc and setup and hold margins to be tested.

6415397, Jul 2, 2002

Sep 13, 2000

09/660714

Ramon S. Co - Trabuco Canyon CA
Steve Si-Yu Chen - San Jose CA
Fred Yen Kong - Irvine CA
Thang Nguyen - Santa Ana CA

Kingston Technology Company - Fountain Valley CA

H02H 305

714 42, 714718

A test station for testing memory modules uses multiple personal computer (PC) motherboards for performing functional tests on the modules. The motherboards are mounted upside-down with the solder-side up at the desktop level of the test station frame. One or more of the memory-module sockets on each motherboard is removed. A test adaptor board is plugged into the holes of the removed socket, but mounted on the reverse, solder side of the motherboard rather than the component side. The test adaptor board has a test socket that receives a module being tested. An overhead robotic arm picks up memory modules from an input tray and inserts them into test sockets for testing by the motherboards. Since the cables, components, and expansion boards of the motherboards are hidden below the solder-side surface of the motherboards, while the test adaptor board is above, the overhead robotic arm can easily navigate to the test socket without obstruction. Modules that pass are inspected in transit when the robotic arm holds the module in front of a camera that sends images to an image inspection processor.

6357022, Mar 12, 2002

Oct 11, 2000

09/686044

Thang Nguyen - Santa Ana CA
Ngoc Le - Mission Viejo CA
Benjamin E. Chou - Irvine CA

Kingston Technology Co. - Fountain Valley CA

H02H 305

714 42

Memory modules such as SIMMs and DIMMs are automatically tested by a target-system motherboard such as a PC motherboard. An automated SIMM/DIMM handler is connected to a handler adaptor board that is mounted to the back or solder-side of the PC motherboard. The relatively flat surface of the solder-side of the PC motherboard allows close mounting of the handler. One or more of the SIMM sockets on the motherboard is removed to provide mounting holes for the handler adaptor board. The handler adaptor board provides electrical connection from the module-under-test (MUT) in the handler to the removed SIMM socket on the PC motherboard. The handler adaptor board provides a slight spacing or offset from the solder-side surface of the PC motherboards substrate, allowing the handler to be plugged directly into tester-connectors on the handler adaptor board. Since the offset of the adaptor board is slight, the length of electrical connections to the handler is short, minimizing the load on the PCs memory bus. A handler controller card that controls the handler is plugged into the PCI or ISA bus on the PC motherboard.

6357023, Mar 12, 2002

Oct 30, 2000

09/702017

Ramon S. Co - Trabuco Canyon CA
Steve Si-Yu Chen - San Jose CA
Fred Yen Kong - Irvine CA
Thang Nguyen - Santa Ana CA

Kingston Technology Co. - Fountain Valley CA

H02H 305

714 42, 714718

Memory modules are tested using a test assembly with a personal computer (PC) motherboard. The motherboard is mounted upside-down with its solder-side up to a metal plate using standoffs. A memory-module socket on the motherboard is removed. An opening is made in the metal plate above the removed socket. A well is attached to the metal plate at the opening. The well supports a test adaptor board below the metal plate so that the test adaptor board has a closer spacing to the motherboard than does the metal plate. The test adaptor board has a test socket that receives a module being tested. Pins from the test adaptor board are plugged into the holes of the removed socket on the motherboard, but mounted on the reverse, solder side of the motherboard rather than the component side. The cables, components, and expansion boards of the motherboards are hidden below the metal plate and motherboard, and can be cooled without cooling the memory module in the test socket. A top plate or air guide can be added above the metal plate to blow hot air on the memory module being tested in the test socket, while the cooling air is blown on the motherboard.

6178526, Jan 23, 2001

Apr 8, 1998

9/056973

Thang Nguyen - Santa Ana CA
Ngoc Le - Mission Viejo CA
Benjamin E. Chou - Irvine CA

Kingston Technology Company - Fountain Valley CA

H02H 305, H03K 19003

714 42

Memory modules such as SIMMs and DIMMs are automatically tested by a target-system motherboard such as a PC motherboard. An automated SIMM/DIMM handler is connected to a handler adaptor board that is mounted to the back or solder-side of the PC motherboard. The relatively flat surface of the solder-side of the PC motherboard allows close mounting of the handler. One or more of the SIMM sockets on the motherboard is removed to provide mounting holes for the handler adaptor board. The handler adaptor board provides electrical connection from the module-under-test (MUT) in the handler to the removed SIMM socket on the PC motherboard. The handler adaptor board provides a slight spacing or offset from the solder-side surface of the PC motherboard's substrate, allowing the handler to be plugged directly into tester-connectors on the handler adaptor board. Since the offset of the adaptor board is slight, the length of electrical connections to the handler is short, minimizing the load on the PC's memory bus. A handler controller card that controls the handler is plugged into the PCI or ISA bus on the PC motherboard.