Production Device Programming

The PMBus is simply a protocol that defines communication between power conversion devices, using SMBus (System Management Bus) as the physical layer. SMBus is in turn based on I2C with additional fault tolerant and error correction features.

In a standard PMBus set-up a separate interface header or a dedicated master devices must be employed to communicate with PMBus slaves. Using PMBusProg however allows the user to harness the power of the existing JTAG/boundary-scan driver/sensor pins and use these to synthesise a PMBus master.

JTAG Technologies’ ‘Classic’ Production Stand-Alone package (PSA) has, for many years, been the standard execution system operated in CEM and OEM factories when an independent boundary-scan test and/or device programming station is required. Introduced in the late 1990s to support applications generated by our ‘Classic’ development tools, several thousand PSA systems are still in use today. For new projects however ProVision Platform run-time system is usually recommended

Using PSA, test engineers can build sequences of applications in the built-in AEX (Application EXecutive) manager using if, then, else, and goto capabilities. Sequence builders can also include additional capabilities through DOS/Win command line calls, create serial number logged test reports, export tests results to a database etc.. PSA includes drivers for all JTAG Technologies controller hardware past and present.

With JTAG ProVision Flash you can program thousands of different flash types – even NAND and serial devices – using a variety of supported data formats. Flash memory programming applications include erase, blank-check, program, verify, lock, unlock, and read_id, which can be created automatically for over 20,000 parts. Generally flash in-system programming (ISP) applications utilise the built-in boundary-scan register of IEEE 1149.1 parts to control write/read cycles, however where programmable logic iterface directly with flash, bespoke IP applications can be used to greatly increase data throughput.

JTAG ProVision Flash is the easiest, fastest tool suite for development of ISP (In-System Programming) applications. It offers unmatched flexibility – multiple chains, multiboard designs and a re-usable project database.

Almost all today’s programmable logic devices (CPLDs and FPGAs) now utilise the IEEE std 1149.1 interface port to access their proprietary configuration circuits. Until 2001 the popular SVF (Serial Vector Format) was considered the de facto standard for streaming data into these parts and SVF remains popular to this day.

However as the IC vendors competed to produce the optimum data format/language for programming devices ‘in-system’ other standards appeared (JAM, STAPL, XSVF etc..) until the IEEE standards committee approved a universal standard that could be applied across designs bearing multiple vendor devices. The IEEE Std 1532 was finally approved in 2001 and as part of that standard a universal data format ‘ISC’ was introduced alongside enhanced BSDL models for compliant programmable parts.

Since the very first PLDs with JTAG programming were introduced JTAG Technologies have developed timely support packages that allow manufacturers to program all vendor parts at high speed. Today that support is provided through JTAG ProVision and the PIP and Symphony tester integration packages.

JTAG Technologies offers a range of options that can be used by engineers to improve their device programming facilities without adding much in the way of additional hardware. Our solutions for programming embedded (flash) memories of Microprocessors and DSPs are also known as SCIP (Serial Controlled IC Programmer) modules. The family comprises a wide range of software modules that can be used by test and production engineers to broaden the scope of their in-system device programming facilities without adding much or anything in the way of additional interface hardware.

While many devices have standardised on JTAG (IEEE Std 1149.1) as hardware interface for programming and testing there has been little in the way of standardisation regarding the way internal (flash) memories are programmed. The use of ‘Private’ instructions and non-standard state machine implementations have meant that some JTAG/boundary-scan tool-sets are unable to cope with the variety of devices that now use JTAG as their programming interface. Furthermore there exists a secondary layer of devices that use other, often lower pin count, interfaces to support their programming. Examples of these alternative interfaces are BDM, SPI, SWD (ARM Single Wire Debug) etc.. JTAG Technologies SCIP modules overcome these obstacles.

While a full ProVision system allows development and execution of integrated JTAG/boundary-scan test and programming software applications, it is possible to use the same familiar user interface in a reduced functionality version within production and manufacturing. ‘ProVision Platform’ is available for test execution only, flash in-system programming (ISP) only, PLD ISP only, or of course any combination of these.

Each ProVision Platform licence includes the capability to import ProVision development archives, execute applications and review test results in the familiar TTR (Truth Table Report) format and, optionally BSD (diagnotics) or Visualizer (graphical viewer). The system also includes the built-in boundary-scan test sequencer, our acclaimed AEX (Application EXecutive) manager,  for application sequencing which itself includes if, then, else and goto structures for building more complex test and programming sequences as well as report generation and results storage by serial number.

JTAG Technologies Production Integration Packages allow users to execute the full range of JTAG board test and programming applications from a ‘third party’ environment. In addition to the test oriented front-ends such as National Instruments’ LabView and TestStand, JTAG Technologies also provides support for a range of generic compilers for Microsoft and others.

For C/C++ there is PIP/DLL, for .NET framework systems such as Visual C, Visual Basic etc. we offer PIP/.NET and for older Visual Basic compilers there’s also PIP/VB. There’s even a DOS/Win command line execution package called PIP/EXE. Each PIP package includes full capability to load and launch applications to test and program boards on our DataBlaster, Explorer or new MIOS (mixed-signal)  IEEE Std. 1149.x boundary-scan controllers.

As a long-standing alliance partner with National Instruments, JTAG Technologies is able to offer a wide range of high-level integration options for the National Instruments’ control and test executive packages – TestStand, LabView and LabWindows/CVi. As part of our PIP (Production Integration Packages) family our National Instruments support options have enabled our customers to seamlessly and reliably integrate high-quality boundary-scan applications into their test and device programming systems for almost 20 years.