Announcing The Release of ScanWorks 4.13
The newest release of ScanWorks, version 4.13, brings major improvements that make testing simpler, faster, and more reliable. Whether you’re working on DDR4 memory validation or managing complex test setups, these updates help you get the job done with less effort and more confidence. CT Mode for DDR4 Devices — A Game Changer The headline […]
Why Healthcare Engineering Teams Are Reconsidering PCB Testing Outsourcing
In today’s fast-paced healthcare technology landscape, engineering teams are under increasing pressure to deliver high-performance medical devices efficiently and cost-effectively. One area drawing renewed scrutiny is the outsourcing of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) testing. While outsourcing has long been a standard practice, many engineering teams are now rethinking this strategy due to rising costs, time delays, and quality control issues. […]
Everything You Need to Know About ScanWorks Interconnect Part 8: BSDL Syntax and Semantics Errors and Scan Path Verify Failures
This blog post will take a deeper look at BSDL syntax and semantics errors and Scan Path Verify failures. But before we dive in, if you missed part 7 of this series – where we covered the process of describing a Scan Path and creating a Scan Path Verify action in ScanWorks – here’s a […]
Everything You Need to Know About ScanWorks Interconnect Part 7: Building the Scan Path Verify Action
To commence Boundary Scan testing on a UUT, the first step is to ensure that all the Boundary Scan devices on our PCB are operating correctly. The Boundary Scan devices must be capable of executing all Boundary Scan instructions specified by the IEEE 1149.1 standard. Mandatory instructions such as EXTEST and BYPASS are important instructions […]
Everything You Need to Know About ScanWorks Interconnect Part 5: Operations of the TAP and the BC_1 Cell
In the Part 4 blog, I described the process of loading the instruction register with an OPCODE. Once the instruction register is loaded with an OPCODE, an Update-IR takes place, which sends the OPCODE to the 2nd rank of the instruction register. The OPCODE is then decoded, and the instruction is executed. When the instruction […]
Everything You Need to Know About ScanWorks Interconnect Part 4: The Test Access Port (TAP) State Machine
In my previous blog, I discussed about the mandatory and optional Boundary Scan Device instructions. Now, let’s dig a bit deeper into how the TAP works. The TAP provides 4 major operations within a boundary scan device. These operations are: • Test-Logic-Reset: At the Test-Logic-Reset controller state, the test logic is disabled to allow […]
Everything You Need to Know about ScanWorks Interconnect Part 3: Boundary Scan Device Instructions
In my last blog, I discussed the conditions that lead to the creation of the boundary scan standard, and I began to describe the internal boundary scan architecture inherent within each IEEE 1149.1 compliant device. As stated, boundary scan is a structural test technology for detecting shorts, opens, and stuck-at faults introduced during the printed […]
Everything You Need to Know About ScanWorks Interconnect Part 2: The Boundary Scan Architecture
What is the meaning of the word “interconnect”? As the word is applied in the field of electronics, interconnect, as defined at Techopedia.com, defines the word as follows. “An interconnect (generally speaking) is a physical or logical connection between two electronic devices or networks.” Printed circuit boards (PCB) consisting of hundreds, sometimes, thousands, of interconnected […]
Everything You Need to Know About ScanWorks Interconnect Part 1: The Origins of Boundary Scan
To tell the story of Interconnect, we must go back in time to the printed circuit board (PCB) test industry prior to the year 1990. At that time, electronics manufacturers relied upon a hands-on approach to test PCBs for structural integrity. Typical PCB test technologies of the time included the use of equipment such as […]