Distributed interface for parallel testing of multiple devices using a single tester channel

Claim 1

A contact assembly comprising: two or more sets of first elements, each set of elements is to contact a plurality of signal locations of a separate device under test (DUT); and first circuitry having an input to be coupled to a set of I/O lines of a tester and an output coupled to the two or more sets of elements, to provide a write data value, received from the tester, on each set of said elements, the circuitry being further configured to read from each DUT a read data value, in response to receiving a read command from the tester over the set of I/O lines, perform a comparison between said read data value and an expected data value received from the tester, to determine an error in each DUT, and send an error value, indicative of the error in each DUT, to the tester over the set of tester I/O lines, wherein the first circuitry is coupled to receive the write data value over one or more data lines of the set of I/O lines, and the error value is to be carried by said one or more data lines used to carry the write data value; two or more sets of second elements, each set of second elements to contact a plurality of signal locations of a separate device under test (DUT); and second circuitry having an input to be coupled to a further set of I/O lines of the tester and an output coupled to the two or more sets of second elements, to provide a write data value, received from the tester and carried by one or more data lines of the further set of I/O lines, on each set of said second elements, the second circuitry being further configured to read from each DUT that is contacted by the second elements a read data value, in response to receiving a read from the tester over the further set of I/O lines, perform a comparison using said read data value to determine an error in each DUT, and send a second error value, indicative of the error in each DUT that is contacted by the second elements, to the tester over the further set of I/O lines, the second error value to be carried by said one or more data lines in the further set of I/O lines used to carry the write data value.