Flynn Systems » boundary scan

Groundhog Day Sale

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:30:37 +0000

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

Nashua, NH by-way-of Gobbler’s Nob, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – Well, it’s official! The groundhog poked out and saw its shadow. Settle in for six more weeks of winter. The upside is, you have six more weeks to not worry about nice sunny days and walks in the park with sunshine on your face. That means more winter time to dedicate to developing and debugging your projects so when spring does finally arrive, you’re ready to take full advantage of the nice spring weather.

We know you’re busy, but bargains are always welcome. Flynn Systems is announcing its Groundhog Day Special.

Even though we all got the bad news that winter is continuing for six more weeks, we want to give you some good news about boundary scan test tools. When you purchase any onTAP Boundary Scan Software license, we are giving you the option to add another license to your package for FREE*. That’s right, FREE. Buy a development seat for the lab, or an MTO for manufacturing, and get another one for a co-worker. You have your choice of an MTO or DLL.

Act fast, this offer only lasts until the first official day of spring – March 20, 2010

We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your boundary scan application.

THE SMALL PRINT:

*Free onTAP software offer applies to all quotes generated between Feb. 2 2010 and March 20, 2010 and is limited to one free license per quote. Offer is also limited to either an MTO or DLL. Offer expires on March 20, 2010.

Properly Managing Common Tri-State Control Cells Boosts Fault Coverage

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:16:00 +0000

As the boundary scan community continues looking for new ways to improve test procedures and achieve higher and higher fault coverage, we expect the test tools to compensate for shortcomings in silicon devices or board design. We are constantly exposed to new situations in boundary scan test and new approaches to using boundary scan to achieve better test fault coverage. One item standing in the way of higher, more accurate fault coverage is common tri-state control cells.

Common tri-state control cells are groups of pins on a common net. Just as the name suggests, they are tri-state pins, grouped together by a common function, sharing a boundary scan cell. Though this is efficient for circuitry, it poses some issues during JTAG test. For example, when a single pin on the common cell drives or senses a value, all the pins associated with that cell are forced to perform the same function, simultaneously. This is represented in the following drawing.

Un-handled common tri-state cells can have a negative impact on boundary scan test, dramatically reducing accuracy and fault coverage of opens and shorts tests because multiple pins sharing a common net drive in the same test vector, as displayed in the screen capture below.

In this image, you can see pins U23.AA14 and U36.AE30 are on net U23_AA14. This test is not accounting for the tri-state pins on the common control cell, ultimately compromising fault coverage.

The yellow 0 and 1 characters show drive, or boundary register update, values at each test vector, and the green L and H values show expected boundary register capture values on the vectors following an update.

This image shows the netlist view of the Mv6430 boundary scan device, while the following image displays the pins in an expanded view.

This image shows how the test was revised to account for the tri-state pins on the common control cell. The result is a boost in fault coverage, with the added benefit of making the test more accurate.

As explained in the text box in this screen shot, onTAP accounts for the shared cells and adds additional test vectors to ensure pins do not drive simultaneously, allowing for more comprehensive tests that deliver higher, and most importantly, more accurate, test fault coverage.

Escape Communications Selects onTAP as Embedded JTAG Test Solution

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:55:06 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Ryan Flynn
Flynn Systems Corp.
74 Northeastern Blvd, STE 16A
Nashua, NH 03062
603-598-4444
Sales@flynn.com

onTAP Series 4000: Escape Communications Embedded JTAG Test and Programming Solution

NASHUA, NH April 3, 2009 – Flynn Systems Corp is proud to announce that Escape Communications, of Torrance, California, (www.escapecom.com), a trusted provider of point-to-point microwave radio indoor units (IDUs) for commercial telecommunications OEMs and custom advanced signal processing designs for major space and defense contractors, has selected onTAP as their embedded JTAG Test solution for their newest product.

Escape sought to improve their physical user interface for testing, especially during the manufacturing process. Having already developed a test executive with an intuitive GUI, Escape needed to eliminate proprietary third party test fixtures, some of which were outdated and unreliable, and integrate reliable, easy to use, and cost-effective test capabilities into their new Automated Test Board (ATB) design.

In previous projects, Escape had recognized the high value of comprehensive IEEE 1149.1 tests and had successfully used onTAP software for boundary scan test applications. The major test and development challenges for their current ATB project were limited physical access to the board and limited boundary scan access. “Some devices were not able to interface via boundary scan,” said Ted Pascaru, Director of Operations for Escape Communications, “and other devices required proprietary test and programming methods…We needed a solution that would make it easier for us, our customers, and manufacturers to access the board and conduct the necessary tests.”

From a single test port, a design, test, or manufacturing test engineer can simply plug the board into an onTAP-enabled PC or laptop, and run a complete suite of pre-developed onTAP boundary scan tests. onTAP’s automated test generation delivers the highest possible fault coverage with a graphical debugging environment that provides pin-level diagnostic messages and detailed test reports. Pascaru is pleased with the outcome of the seamless integration of onTAP with Escape’s Automated Test Board. “Now we have created a way to easily access the board and perform all the necessary functions for the different devices on the board. Flynn was easy to work with and open to the idea of embedding a solution,” Pascaru noted.The comprehensive test results provided by onTAP enable users to identify and repair faults on boards under test more quickly and easily than ever before.

Hank Flynn, CEO of Flynn Systems says, “Escape Communications are valued long-time customers, and have always been a pleasure to work with. We are excited to see Escape Communications display such enthusiasm and confidence in our boundary scan tools and tests that they would embed them into their new product. We look forward to continuing to work with and support Escape with new tools as we move forward.”

About Escape Communications:

Founded in 1998, Escape Communications provides indoor units (IDUs), high-speed modem modules, and Satcom terminals to commercial telecommunications equipment OEMs and major space and defense contractors. Escape has developed an extensive portfolio of communications, signal processing, mixed-signal and embedded processor IP that enables them to offer standard product solutions and custom turnkey design services that are both cost-effective and schedule-efficient. More details can be found at www.escapecom.com.

About Flynn Systems:

Flynn Systems has provided test, debug, and programming solutions for the boundary scan test standard (JTAG IEEE 1149.1) for over ten years. Their onTAP software package is designed for complete, automated boundary scan testing for devices of all levels of complexity on printed circuit boards (PCB) and non-boundary scan devices interacting with the scan enabled devices. onTAP’s functionality also includes the capability to program FLASH enabled devices using only the onTAP USB Test and Programming Cable. Flynn Systems Corp. provides high level test suites and the highest fault coverage available with a powerful ATG engine: all backed by fast, responsive technical support. Its satisfied customers include Escape Communications, Intel, Qualcom, Benchmark Electronics, Cadence Design, Stanford Linear Accelerator, Teradyne, Checkpoint Systems, Ulticom, and University of Arizona. Flynn Systems’ onTAP provides boundary scan services for university research, avionics, defense systems, consumer goods, and medical electronics. It is based in New Hampshire with distributors and partners in Europe.

Those interested are invited to download a free 30 day evaluation software package with full technical support available at www.flynn.com.

Escape Communications Selects onTAP as its Embedded JTAG Solution

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:00:59 +0000

(text version – download PDF version here)

The challenge:

Escape Communications of Torrance, CA (www.escapecom.com), a trusted provider of point-to-point microwave radio indoor units (IDUs) for commercial telecommunications OEMs and custom advanced signal processing designs for major space and defense contractors, sought to improve their physical user interface for testing, especially during the manufacturing process. Having already developed a test executive with an intuitive GUI, Escape then needed to eliminate proprietary third party test fixtures, some of which were outdated and unreliable, and integrate reliable, easy to use, and cost-effective test capabilities into their new Automated Test Board (ATB) design.

Escape set out to develop a method that provided boundary scan access along with the needed access to the devices with special provisions. Such a strategy, Pascaru explained, “Would enable our customers, and subsequently our CMs, to implement reliable, user-friendly, cost-effective tests without the need to purchase suites of separate test tools and licenses.”

The Escape Communications EXM-2L16 is their flagship product offering 16 native T1/E1 tributaries and offering optional built-in switched protection / receive diversity. The EXM-2L16 supports arbitrary bandwidths from 3.5 to 30 MHz and transport capacities from 5 Mbps to 170 Mbps (QPSK to 256 QAM).

The solution:

Escape Communications asked Flynn Systems to help them tackle the challenge of embedding boundary scan tests into their ATB design through the use of readily available, off-the-shelf firmware in order to minimize customization and engineering development costs. Escape selected the FTDI 2232D Dual USB UART/FIFO IC chip for the ATB test interface, the same chip Flynn Systems uses in their USB JTAG Test and Programming cable. Escape and Flynn have both had great success with this particular device due to its versatility and full range of capabilities for test and development purposes.

The Escape solution confines the necessary test equipment to little more than a common high speed A-A USB 2.0 cable, controlling the embedded FTDI chip through Escape’s board design and its own test executive. The result: “Now we have created a way to easily access the board and perform all the necessary functions for the different devices on the board. Flynn was easy to work with and open to the idea of embedding a solution,” Pascaru noted. Instead of having several cables and test and programming pods interfacing with the board, there is one embedded device connected to the test PC via a standard USB 2.0 port.

Escape Communications Automatic Test Board (ATB) with embedded onTAP JTAG test via USB port

How it Works with onTAP:

From a single test port, a design, test, or manufacturing test engineer can simply plug the board into an onTAP-enabled PC or laptop, and run a complete suite of pre-developed onTAP boundary scan tests. onTAP’s automated test generation delivers the highest possible fault coverage with a graphical debugging environment that provides pin-level diagnostic messages and detailed test reports. Pascaru is pleased with the outcome of the seamless integration of onTAP with Escape’s Automated Test Board. The comprehensive test results provided by onTAP enable users to identify and repair faults on boards under test more quickly and easily than ever before.

About Escape Communications:

Flynn Systems Announces upgraded Boundary Scan Tools: onTAP Series 4000

admin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:52:48 +0000

Contact:

Wendy Harrison
Flynn Systems Corp.
74 Northeastern Blvd
STE 16A
Nashua, NH 03062-3192
USA
603-598-4444
Sales@flynn.com

Navigating the Scan Path to Higher Fault Coverage

NASHUA, NH August 15, 2008 – Flynn Systems Corp’s onTAP Series 4000 featuring their newest tool, ProScan, boosts fault coverage and increases visibility for Boundary Scan/JTAG 1149.1 testing through increased automation and graphical interfaces. By tapping its roots as a leader in Automatic Test Pattern Generation, Flynn Systems has seamlessly integrated ATPG for boundary scan circuits with ATPG algorithms for complex networks of non-scan circuits, such as logic elements, buffers, transceivers, and resistor networks that often lie between boundary scan pins.

“The goal is to exploit JTAG testing to achieve maximum fault coverage in addition to Flash programming and configuration tasks,” says Hank Flynn, CEO of Flynn Systems Corp. Like so many new features added to onTAP, Flynn’s introduction of the upgraded ATPG was a direct result of meeting customer needs. “Even if a tool has the capability to provide high fault coverage, when too much user intervention is required, chances are fault coverage goals will never be achieved. It’s clear that increased automation throughout the test prep experience is the key.” Says Flynn.

“When talking and meeting with customers, I recognized how easily fault coverage could be sacrificed in test preparation whenever the development software was not sufficiently helpful or too much user intervention was required. Development and test engineers are busy folks, so we had to make all aspects of boundary scan test development easy to use and understand and provide a software package that facilitates use of complex tools. This is where onTAP Series 4000 really opens doors.”

onTAP Series 4000 is a fully automated, netlist-based, boundary scan test, debug, and programming product. onTAP automatically initializes its ATPG algorithm to access a comprehensive library of models for non-scan devices, allowing it to manage and in effect to test through these devices. The user need only provide the BSDL files for the boundary scan/JTAG parts, and the netlist for the PCB. To make this process easier, Flynn Systems Corp. offers over 24 translators for popular CAD-based netlist formats, such as Allegro, EDIF, PADS, and OrCad. The test results are compiled into industry standard Serial Vector Format (SVF) files and supplementary diagnostic files used to provide pin-level diagnostic messages.

onTAP Series 4000 is part of a new series of testing and design tools from Flynn Systems offering greater flexibility, more automation and a more intuitive interface for novice boundary scan users and experts alike. Keep your eyes open for more advances in ease-of-use functionality from Flynn Systems this year.

About Flynn Systems:

Flynn Systems has provided test, debug, and programming solutions for the boundary scan test standard (JTAG IEEE 1149.1) for over ten years. Their onTAP software package is designed for completely automated boundary scan testing for devices of all levels of complexity on printed circuit boards (PCB) and non-boundary scan devices interacting with the scan enabled devices. onTAP’s functionality also includes the capability to program FLASH enabled devices using only the onTAP USB Test and Programming Cable. Flynn Systems Corp. provides high level test suites and the highest fault coverage available with a powerful ATG engine: all backed by fast, responsive technical support. Its satisfied customers include Intel, Qualcom, Harris RF, Benchmark Electronics, Raytheon, L-3 Communications, Cadence Design, Stanford Linear Accelerator, Teradyne, Checkpoint Systems, Ulticom, and University of Arizona. Flynn Systems’ onTAP provides boundary scan services for university research, avionics, defense systems, consumer goods, and medical electronics. It is based in New Hampshire with distributors and partners in Europe.

Those interested are invited to download a free 30 day evaluation software package with full technical support available at www.flynnsystems.com.