T&MZONE Products for the week of May 21, 2007
Agilent Technologies Says . . .
i1000: Low-Cost In-Circuit Test System for Original
Design Manufacturers
Agilent Technologies Inc. introduced a low-cost in-circuit test system for original design manufacturers who need "just enough test." The new system provides a cost-effective means to achieve the highest confidence in testing high-volume digital consumer and personal computer motherboards.
Unlike manufacturing defects analyzer (MDA) test systems and other in-circuit test (ICT) systems that employ older-generation TestJet technology pioneered by Agilent, Medalist i1000 offers the cutting-edge Agilent VTEP v2.0 vectorless test suite. VTEP v2.0 comprises the award-winning iVTEP and the new Network Parameter Measurement technology, offering unparalleled coverage of micro ball grid arrays and flip chips, as well as power and ground pins for connectors commonly found in digital consumer products and desktop PCs.
Compatible with most MDA fixtures, the Agilent Medalist i1000 provides
investment protection for manufacturers who wish to upgrade their existing
MDAs to obtain greater test capabilities.
analogZONE Says...
The biggest problem with most in-circuit test systems is the time needed to set up and, inevitably, there ends up being a cross-dependence between modes that makes debugging a grind. With the Medalist i3070 passive analog components can be auto-debugged so that even a near novice can get a system running in a few hours.
The original MedalistVTEP technology is updated with the v2.0 suite of vectorless test solutions with tests on power and ground pins plus a focus on low value measurements on signal pins. With updating capabilities built-in the solutions should be good for many years to come. A straightforward, user-friendly, GUI is also provided.
Both press-down and vacuum fixtures are available with the former being a typical MDA fixture with cable connections. The latter has a mechanical fixture lock-down using electric motors, allowing fast fixture swap times but with good signal integrity.
Both I²C and SPI programming capabilities are provided and customized boundary scan solutions can be made available. Testing includes the analog and vectorless tests, plus frequency measurements, ac/dc voltage, yield enhancement and panel tests. Reports are provided for first-pass yields, yield enhancement and component level coverages.
This is an excellent step forward for in-circuit testing and will meet the challenges of the vast majority of consumer OEMs. It is extremely suitable for new users as well as offering a practical extension for the operating life of existing systems. Its pricing will be extremely cost effective for the volume manufacturer.
The i1000 system will be available next month (June 2007) with pricing starting at $45,000.