JTAG Technologies, a leading provider of IEEE Std. 1149.x solutions for testing and in-system programming of PCBs, has announced a dramatic improvement in integrating boundary-scan within the popular 3070 In-Circuit Test (ICT) systems of Agilent Corporation. The new JT 37x7 / APC controller combines in a single plug-in unit all of the hardware elements required for a high-performance boundary-scan solution for PCB testing and in-system programming. Because the APCTM is fully compatible with a single-density 3070 pin-card slot, the new unit provides extremely convenient installation with minimum cabling and thus optimum signal performance.
Other methods of combining boundary-scan with the 3070 rely on inserting a controller in a spare PCI or ISA slot within the ICT and then adding a TAP front-end somewhere between the controller and the test fixture. The installation is often difficult and the resulting cabling is cumbersome and prone to signal degradation. Some solutions are even more cumbersome, requiring installation of a separate PC, so-called "external" integration. All of these difficulties and compromises are overcome by the JT 37x7 / APC.
Within the APC is a full-function JTAG Technologies TSI controller along with signal conditioning for four high-speed boundary-scan test access ports (TAPs). The controller is capable of a sustained clock rate of 40 MHz and contains all of the performance-enhancing attributes of the DataBlasterTM line of controllers including expandable image memory, autonomous operation, programmable voltages and AutoWriteTM control for fast flash programming.
The APC also provides the means to isolate system ground from the unit under test during unpowered testing. The APC interfaces to the 3070 test head controller via an Ethernet port, and it receives power from the 3070 motherboard. No external connections or ribbon cables are required between the APC outputs and the test fixture; the fixture interface is via the normal MINT (Module INTerface) pins. The associated Symphony run-time software for the 3070 is available for both the HP-UX and Windows operating systems.
Other methods of combining boundary-scan with the 3070 rely on inserting a controller in a spare PCI or ISA slot within the ICT and then adding a TAP front-end somewhere between the controller and the test fixture. The installation is often difficult and the resulting cabling is cumbersome and prone to signal degradation. Some solutions are even more cumbersome, requiring installation of a separate PC, so-called "external" integration. All of these difficulties and compromises are overcome by the JT 37x7 / APC.
Within the APC is a full-function JTAG Technologies TSI controller along with signal conditioning for four high-speed boundary-scan test access ports (TAPs). The controller is capable of a sustained clock rate of 40 MHz and contains all of the performance-enhancing attributes of the DataBlasterTM line of controllers including expandable image memory, autonomous operation, programmable voltages and AutoWriteTM control for fast flash programming.
The APC also provides the means to isolate system ground from the unit under test during unpowered testing. The APC interfaces to the 3070 test head controller via an Ethernet port, and it receives power from the 3070 motherboard. No external connections or ribbon cables are required between the APC outputs and the test fixture; the fixture interface is via the normal MINT (Module INTerface) pins. The associated Symphony run-time software for the 3070 is available for both the HP-UX and Windows operating systems.
