PrestoPE - Dual Test Platform Simulator

The benefits of using Presto Engineering's Dual Test Platform approach include:

  • Faster (and cheaper) availability of the first validation test solution after tape-out;
  • More efficient validation (and error correction) process;
  • Quicker development of the production vectors;
  • Much more cost-effective validation and characterization phases.

Two test platforms carry some investment: an additional loadboard, more exhaustive use of BIST (and consequently its port to the production platform). The simulation below provides a typical estimate of the saving, net of additional cost driven by the second test platform, that this approach will generate.

This short survey collects the basic data required to run our internal model. It follows the typical PrestoPE flow of validation, characterization then production, estimating at each step the factors most relevant to an overall cost estimate.

Please position the cursor on the first input box below, and tab through each answers before clicking "Run Simulation" at the bottom.


Please call us at 408-434-1145 or contact us for a more detailed discussion on how we can accelerate your release project--while saving you money.


1. While Presto Engineering provides the validation test platform, production ATE will carry a given hourly cost, either from internal allocation, or from a test house.
Please enter the production ATE rate ($ per hour):
2. First, design-provided vectors are converted into an initial test program.
Test engineer time required for the initial program (in weeks):
3. BIST considerably increases the test coverage of our validation platform, for characterization and eventually production. Some characterization aspect (like high-speed I/Os) will still require function ATE though. Please estimates the time dedicated to developing BIST, and the coverage obtained.
Development time (in weeks) related to BIST:
Estimated Scan/BIST coverage (%):
4. Please estimate here the actual test engineering time (in weeks) that has been allocated on production ATE, to validation and characterization (respectively). (Validation includes test enigneer and ATE; characterization is ATE only.)
Validation time on production ATE (in weeks):
Characterization time on production ATE (in weeks):
5. Finally, the production test solution will be competed for release. Some aspects of BIST, developed for characterization, will be ported to production ATE.
Port of BIST solution on production ATE (in weeks):