Symphony from JTAG Technologies: a combined, coherent methodology

In-circuit testing (ICT) and flying probe testing are two traditional structural test methods still in widespread use today. ICT uses a custom fixture, one per board type, containing a large number of test probes which physically contact test points on the target board. Via the probes, electrical stimuli are driven to the board and results sensed from it.

Flying probe also relies on making physical contact but with a small number of test probes, typically between 4 and 24. The test probes move at high speed allowing a series of tests to be conducted without a fixture.

As board density and complexity have increased over the years, ICT and flying probe suffer from the need for physical contact with test points on the board, hence the emergence of boundary-scan as a superior test technology for today's systems. However, portions of a system, such as the analog portion of a mixed-signal board, may be well-suited for ICT or flying probe. In such cases, the test strategy may consist of one of our Symphony systems in which boundary-scan tests the digital portion of the target, and the ICT or flying probe system performs the analog testing. The result is a comprehensive test strategy with high coverage for digital and analog in one platform. We offer Symphony integrated within many of today's popular test systems:

• Symphony for the 3070: combining our boundary-scan hardware and software with the Agilent 3070 and available to run under either the HP-UX or Windows operating system. A unique component of our 3070 Symphony solution is the JT 37x7/APC boundary-scan controller. The APC plugs into a pin-card slot in the 3070 test head and is thus an extremely convenient means of integrating boundary-scan into your 3070 ICT system. 

• Symphony TS/DSM and Symphony TS/CFM: for the Teradyne (and former GenRad) in-circuit testers. Part of our solution is the CFM Custom Function Module which provides isolation between the controller and the in-circuit tester. 

• Symphony APT-9000: for Takaya APT-9400 series of flying probe testers

• Symphony 3030 SPEA: For SPEA in-circuit test systems. A special part of our solution for the SPEA 3030 is the SAM (SPEA Adapter Module) which facilitates easy boundary-scan integration with your SPEA 3030 tester. 

• Symphony Huntron: The 'Huntron Tracker' is synonymous with PCB fault detection using the technique known as analog signature analysis, by adding JTAG Technologies boundary-scan test capability to Huntron's automatic prober the result is a powerful bench-top mixed signal tester.  

  Using the Huntron's I-V curve tracer all accessible nets of  known good board can be measured and the results stored for reference against production UUTs (Units Under Test). Since the I-V technique is a powered-down test the Huntron is useful for testing power-supply nets and JTAG TAP signal nets before power-on. Once powered the boundary-scan aspects can be tested using JTAG Technologies reknowned DataBlaster hardware controlled from the ProVision user interface. What's more the Huntron prober can now act as digital I/O probe capturing or driving data at I/O points in the same way as a conventional DIOS (Digital I/O Scan) module.

Another set of integration solutions with JTAG Technologies hardware and software is available from our OEM partners.