Boundary scan module aids mixed-signal testing

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Apr 17, 2006

The SFX-5704 is the latest Scanflex I/O module for JTAG/boundary scan testing from Goepel Electronic.

The SFX-5704 is the latest Scanflex I/O module for JTAG/boundary scan testing from Goepel Electronic.

The new module was developed for production testing of mixed-signal devices and provides four parallel and independent channels as well as a number of additional resources and special functions.

"With the new I/O module we are entering a new stage in realising our Scanflex development strategy", says Bettina Becker, Marketing and International Sales Manager for Goepel Electronic.

"The constantly increasing implementation of IEEE test standards in combination with respective external instruments enables new ways to extend fault coverage of nonboundary-scan functional clusters".

"In this context, SFX-5704 is the first in a multifunctional module series, and has been especially designed to address multivalent test and fault diagnostics of mixed signal structures in the production process".

This fourth Scanflex I/O module can be freely combined with all Scanflex controllers via PCI, PXI, USB, FireWire or LAN as well as any Scanflex TAP transceiver at a distance up to 5m.

Each of the four channels features fully fledged driver/sensor pin electronics combined with an analogue measuring function.

For digital tests each channel can be switched to input, output, bidirectional or tristate (interposing relay).

A multitude of individually programmable parameters such as input voltage (+/-10V), output voltage (+/-10V), maximum driver current up to 300mA and programmable pull-up and pull-down resistors enable each test channel to be adapted to the signals to be tested.

Several safety measures for the unit under test (UUT) have been implemented in the SFX-5704.

These include an automated overcurrent recognition with subsequent current limit (foldback), dynamic driver current gain adaptation (backdriving) as well as a specific clip switching for freely programmable oppression of overshoots on the connected signal lines.

The analogue measuring function has an input range of +/-10V at 12bit resolution.

analogue and digital functions can simultaneously be operated at active clip switching.

The SFX-5704 is fully supported by System Cascon boundary scan software from version 4.2.1 on, including all integrated tools such as ATPG, pin fault diagnostics processors and debuggers.

Module programming and test program handling of analogue/digital data is provided on basis of user-friendly Caslan instructions.

Caslan is the most powerful boundary scan programming language with several hundred commands supporting standards IEEE1149.1, IEEE1149.4, IEEE1149.6, IEEE1532 and JESD71 as well as mixed signal operations.

By simultaneously using multiple SFX-5704 modules, the channel number can be extended as desired.

The modules are automatically identified by the autodetect software feature.