Sören Rex Hansen, responsible for Production Test Equipment,  Ericsson Diax
Ericsson Diax used to use pure functional testing with a fairly long test time for all but high-volume products. However, although equipment costs were fairly low, complex products now demand something else because functional testing cannot provide the required level of diagnostics. Also, it gives no help with repairs. Unless material costs are very low, you just can't afford to just scrap units, and this was Ericsson Diax's major reason for turning to boundary-scan. 
 
Boundary-scan's test times are much shorter than with functional testing, and the diagnostics information provided by JTAG Technologies' diagnostics software allows Ericsson Diax to repair many boards that were previously impossible. It also allows development of test programs and equipment earlier, because the boards do not yet need to be available.  A large benefit for Ericsson Diax is that they can use boundary-scan for both testing and on-board programming. Development packages for test and flash- and PLD-programming enable them to combine the three applications in a single production line.
 
"The problems came to a head about three years ago, when trying to use purely functional test for a data processor board" said Sören Rex Hansen. "A Turn Key solution was purchased from another vendor, but it was too captive a solution. For each change in the program, the vendor had to be involved." This inflexible situation was unacceptable for Ericsson Diax. Two years later, Ericsson bought a complete JTAG Technologies' development and production system. "JTAG Technologies' solution has worked well, and the whole project has been very successful. Boundary-scan itself is quite easy to work with, and JTAG Technologies' support engineers provide support when needed." 
 
Ericsson produce about 100 boards a day on this production line, with in-line programming of CPLDs. This takes about 7 seconds for each device, which can be further reduced by parallel programming. Testing is particularly simple: the boundary-scan test is executed and when the boards pass they ‘Go' for delivery. The ‘No Go' boards are collected and sent to diagnostics for fault location and repair. This alone saves an enormous amount of time. 
 
Ericsson's current goal is to have two platforms in their production facilities; the operator will use one screen for the whole during operation. The PCB is accessed over a backplane and controlled across an adapter to perform (for example) an interconnectivity test. The program feels and looks like a functional test on screen, but will actually use boundary-scan. Ericsson see many more possibilities for the on-chip programming. For example, control tools will allow boundary-scan to test and program telecom devices remotely in the field. Within a year or two, Ericsson expect to be able to set up all chip parameters and control them using boundary-scan. "Boundary-scan is part of our ongoing process improvement efforts. It has made itself the day-to-day reliable testing & programming tool" concluded Sören Rex Hansen.