Astronics Ballard Technology OmniBus II PXI Express Product for Avionics Test


The OmniBus II PXIe databus interface products combine the standard PXIe interface with MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 Avionics Data Bus interfaces. Interface cards can be ordered with either MIL-STD-1553 only, ARINC 429 only, or both interfaces on the same card. The PXIe interface includes a PCIe x1 interface to the controller as well as support for PXI clock, timing and trigger signals. The inclu... » read more

The Rising Value Of Data


The volume of data being generated by a spectrum of devices continues to skyrocket. Now the question is what can be done with that data. By Cisco's estimates, traffic on the Internet will be 3.3 zetabytes per year by 2021, up from 1.2 zetabytes in 2016. And if that isn't enough, the flow of data isn't consistent. Traffic on the busiest 60-minute period in a day increased 51% in 2016, compare... » read more

Module Testing Adds New Challenges


System-in-package (SiP) and other advanced packaging technologies are putting more components together in tighter spaces than previously seen. Often these packages are contained in a module, which is something more than a chip package and a great deal smaller than most printed circuit boards. Testing these modules often requires system-level test. These modules typically will be inserted int... » read more

IC Test Solutions For The Automotive Market


The amount of electronic content in passenger cars continues to grow rapidly, driven mainly by the integration of various advanced safety features, which will increase further with the move towards fully autonomous vehicles. It is critical that these safety-related devices adhere to the highest possible quality and reliability requirements formalized in the ISO 26262 standard that is being rapi... » read more

Chip Test Shifts Left


“Shift left” is a term traditionally applied to software testing, meaning to take action earlier in the V-shaped time line of a project. It has recently been touted in electronic design automation and IC design, verification, and test. “Test early and test often” is the classic maxim of software testing. What if that concept could also be implemented in semiconductor testing, to redu... » read more

The Future of Testing


In our previous test blog posts, we looked at the history of automated test equipment for semiconductors and for printed circuit boards. This month, we look ahead to the test technologies that are emerging. The chip ATE field has essentially boiled down to Advantest, Teradyne, and Xcerra (LTX-Credence), while the board test market is dominated by Teradyne and Keysight Technologies (formerly ... » read more

Time For Massively Parallel Testing


Time is money in electronics, as in other industries, and the more time that is invested in testing chips means more costs being added to the product in question. To speed up testing for memory devices and other semiconductors, test equipment vendors have resorted to parallel testing technology, simultaneously testing multiple chips at a time. The industry also is turning to system-level tes... » read more

Looking Back at Board Test


Printed circuit board testing has been around as long as printed circuit boards, also known as printed circuit assemblies and printed wiring boards. PCB technology started in the early 20th century with Thomas Edison and other inventors. As boards shrink to fit inside wearable gadgets and other products with compact form factors, PCB test equipment vendors are addressing new challenges. Boar... » read more

System-Level Testing


This white paper on system-level testing for semiconductors. Covering the history and trends of system-level test for semiconductors, this solution brief discusses: The increasing complexities of testing advanced semiconductor integrated devices across a span of applications: automotive, mobile computing, wearables, and more; Semiconductor trends driving necessary shifts in testing method... » read more

12 Important Considerations When Migrating to the Digital Pattern Instrument


The PXI Digital Pattern Instrument brings ATE-class digital to the PXI platform through features and programming that are familiar to semiconductor test engineers. Those features not only come through in the hardware of the instrument, they also appear in the NI-Digital Pattern Driver and Digital Pattern Editor. The digital pattern instrument represents an improved experience to previously exis... » read more

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