Embedded System Access as a Board Level Test and Programming Strategy

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Embedded System Access as a Board Level Test and Programming Strategy

Wenzel, Thomas / Ehrenberg, Heiko / Heiber, Jan

The challenge of electronic testing started with the first transistors and did not lose actuality since then. Testing shall cost nothing, neither time nor money, neither during the design nor in production. And if that is impossible, the demands are clear - fully automated test development, test execution in milliseconds using costless test equipment with test coverage of at least 100%. The reality of course is different. No matter for design validation, as a sensor for production process control or as a way for ensuring product quality by fault recognition and isolation, testing is mandatory in today's product development. But the trends are alarming. Costs meanwhile represent a major part of the development and production expenses - with upward tendency. The guilty treats are complexity, speed and especially access. Their co-occurrence provides fundamental changes in the balance of design and test. Interestingly the challenges of chip and board level tests start to correlate. This presentation describes the transformation of electric test access from external (ICT...) towards to embedded interfaces (JTAG...). It provides an overview of modern test Methodologies and shows them implemented into today's available test systems (HW and SW). Multi-dimensional JTAG/Boundary Scan platforms therefore provide support in all the required dimensions such as parameters, structures, functions, interactions, applications and access technologies combined in their whole complexity. One of the first multi-dimensional JTAG/Boundary Scan instrumentation platforms is the combination of SCANFLEX® hardware and Software SYSTEM CASCON™ by GOEPEL electronic.