Electronic Test Equipment News

Shrinking circuitry frees device real estate to permit combining the functions of the product with the instrument capabilities for test, debug, and yield analysis. With completion of the internal boundary scan (IJTAG) standard, that task is easier. The imminent ratification of the standard will create an open environment to further encourage the practice.

The capabilities of embedded design facilitate measuring another phenomenon of today's electronic products. A new version of a popular development environment addresses the unique requirements of multicore processors. Engineers can design tests for such processors by combining graphical tools with existing program code.

Your mobile phone is supposed to communicate with a GPS satellite in synchronous orbit around the Earth to tell you where you are. But how can a manufacturer ensure that the feature works? It isn't as though you can build a GPS test setup in the lab to find out. Here, from Telecoms Korea, is a description of a practical test approach.

From its inception, one of the biggest banes of long-distance communication has been its susceptibility to electromagnetic noise. European regulations limiting such noise are even stricter than those in the U.S. To minimize costs and maximize yields, incorporate test results into the design to improve the next product generation. [Access to this article may require a short registration.]

To create an effective inspection system, maximize the capabilities of the camera, analysis computer, and infrastructure. Incorporating multiple cameras to view product features from several points of view can improve inspection results. This white paper describes one successful approach to designing and building such a system.

More device defects defy vision-based inspection, however automated. Material residues, charging problems, and other defects that cover large wafer areas are often less than a molecule thick. Finding them requires non-visual inspection. This Solid State Technology article describes several types of defects and explores inspection techniques.

On September 15^th, board-test engineers will gather in Fort Collins, CO for this year's Board Test Workshop. Board-test vendors, engineers, and end users will discuss challenges including in-circuit and parametric testing, board flexibility, and logistical issues like outsourcing and product control. The site provides participation information.

Finding the right answer requires knowing the question to ask. Solder-joint defects can come from less-than-obvious sources. Prevention is more effective than catching them. It requires looking past the soldering and examining the entire manufacturing process. Activities like board handling can contribute significantly to joint problems.

How can you tell when you have become a persona non grata at work? Are you being paranoid, or are you really on the hit list? This article written in partnership with CareerBuilder offers some specific hints that it might be time to look around for a new job. For example, have you been told to take a vacation? Has your boss questioned your attitude or given you a bad review? Have you made a major blunder? Or, is your company the focus of the latest corporate scandal investigation?

This story has nothing to do with Electronic Test, but it should be of interest to many of us. Who would have thought that 40 years after the Beatles photographed a particular "zebra crossing" for the cover of Abbey Road that people would still swarm to the site. This year's celebration of that seminal event in rock history was attended by thousands of people vying for the chance to share the space with music's greatest icons. Several BBC video clips mark the occasion.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Difficult economic times affect those still on the job. They must cope with reduced staff levels and paranoia that they may be next. Do you expect to survive the current downsizing? How will you stay motivated and motivate others?