Testing Flipchip cards can be done with a PC. We used a National Instruments PCI-DIO-96 card, a SCB-100 i/o connexion block and a 100 pin D-sub cable. Here is a view of the work in progress (connecting the Flipchips to the SCB-100 block via a "expansion " flat cable).

Testing, with an ordinary PC, a M160 Flipchip module (genral purpose multi-input gate) comprising two 7460, one 7453 and one 7450 TTL chip (there are 5 such modules in the pdp8-L).

The M160 module has three outputs (R1, T2 and V2) and 29 inputs. The equivalent logic expressions are:

R1 = not [(A1 and B1 and C1 and D1) or (E1 and F1) or (H1 and J1) or (K1 and L1) or (M1 and N1 and P1)]

T2 = not [(D2 and E2 and F2 and H2) or (J2 and K2) or (L2 and M2) or (N2 and P2 and R2 and S2)]

V2 = not [(S1 and U1) or (V1 and U2)]

For testing these functions, the entire set of 0 and 1 arragements are generated: 8192 for the expression for R1, 4096 for T2 and 16 for V2. The reponse given by the M160 module for every one of these 12300 inputs is compared to the theoretical value. The entire testing process takes about one hour with a Pentium 300 MHz computer. The program could however be improved by reducing the number of arrangements to test (basing on the M160 circuitry and the functions of the chips).

Testing the logic of a G221 flipchip (memory selector).

The clips are hooked on the 4 outputs (labelled here R1 to R4) of the two 7440 chips.

Logical expressions are :

R4=not[E2 and D2 and (not H2) and (notF2)]

R3=not[E2 and D2 and (not H2) and F2]

R2=not[E2 and D2 and H2 and (notF2)]

R1=not[E2 and D2 and H2 and F2]

The Flipcards which have been tested so far using this procedure are :

G221 (for the TTL part only)
M111
M113
M115
M117
M119
M160
M216
M617
M310 (for the TTL part only)