ASSET InterTech recently became one of the founding members of the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative’s (iNEMI) boundary-scan adoption project. The initiative—a consortium of over 70 manufacturers, suppliers, and related organizations—started the project to encourage greater use of the IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan standard (commonly known as JTAG, after the Joint Test Action Group, which defined the original specification).
As a first step in the process, the boundary-scan project group is surveying the electronics industry to determine the technology’s current adoption rate and to identify any possible impediments to more widespread use of boundary scan. If obstacles are identified, the group will develop and implement solutions for removing them. Alan Sguigna, vice president of marketing and sales, represents ASSET, a supplier of open tools for embedded instrumentation, on the boundary-scan project group.
Boundary scan performs structural electrical tests on circuit boards, sub-assemblies, and systems. But certain resources must be embedded into semiconductor chips and circuit boards for the technology to be most effective.
“Boundary scan is an excellent example of how the efforts of a cross-industry group can benefit all of the electronics industry,” said Jim McElroy, iNEMI’s chief executive officer. “If we can generate greater support for boundary scan among electronic design automation tools suppliers and chip makers, many of the downstream electronics companies such as circuit board makers and systems providers stand to benefit greatly because their products will improve in quality. Their test procedures will be more comprehensive and less costly.”
iNEMI
www.inemi.org
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