JTAG Technologies breaks the barrier between functional testing and boundary-scan

JTAG Technologies, a leading provider of IEEE Std. 1149.xbased solutions for testing and in-system programming of PCBs, has tackled the barrier between structural and functional testing. With the announcement of the newest member of the highperformance DataBlaster line of boundary-scan controllers, it becomes a simple matter for electronics manufacturers to combine boundary-scan performance and test coverage with functional validation.

The new JT 37x7 / RMI (rack-mounted instrument) is conveniently packaged in a standard 19-inch by 1U form factor for compatibility with virtually any rack-mounted functional test system. The RMI supports all boundary-scan test applications including IEEE 1149.6 advanced digital network testing as well as in-system programming (ISP) of flash memories and programmable logic devices. With its four fully-compliant boundary-scan test access ports (TAPs), the RMI delivers excellent signal integrity at the target. In addition, the RMI provides 256 programmable I/Os to further enhance test coverage.

TAPs and I/Os are available on the front panel of the unit, and the TAPs can be combined for test purposes or ganged for high-throughput testing and ISP. The TAPs can also be extended via flat cables from the front panel to satisfy special fixturing requirements. I/O channels are individually programmable as input, output, bi-directional or tri-state, and voltage thresholds can be programmed to 1.5, 1.8, 2.5, or 3.3V for use with modern low-voltage logic families. To reduce scan chain length and improve test efficiency, any number of 16-channel groups can be bypassed.

The RMI is powered from the host computer and interfaces to the computer via three standard formats, USB 2.0, Ethernet 10/100 and IEEE 1394 Firewire, giving it nearly universal applicability and ease-of-use. Test clock frequency is programmable up to 40 MHz allowing very rapid application execution, especially important for flash programming, while TAP voltages can be set for a wide range of input and output characteristics.

The RMI meets the need to combine boundary-scan operations with functional attesting perfectly—it’s platform-neutral, equally at home in PXI-, VXI- or PCIbased test environments. And, because the RMI is completely self-contained with no auxiliary units, it is easily moved between test stations. Furthermore, in addition to rack-mounted test setups, the RMI is ideal for benchtop applications.

The new controller is fully compatible with all JTAG Technologies’ development tools such as JTAG ProVisionTM and JTAG Visualizer. In combination with functional testing, the RMI works seamlessly with the industry’s most popular architectures including National Instruments LabVIEW, LabWindows and TestStand as well as custom C/C++ and Visual Basic test systems.

JTAG Technologies