XJTAG
Fault Finding
Diagnosis
In-System Programming
Comprehensive PCBA Testing
www.xjtag.com
enquiries@xjtag.com
Program flash memories at high-speed
Use an FPGA or processor on your board to carry out
accelerated flash programming as part of your test process
XJTAG offers world-class flash memory programming speeds using
FPGA or CPU-based acceleration: its intelligent algorithms can make the
erase-program-verify process over 10 times quicker using FPGA
acceleration than with traditional boundary scan, making it useful for
reimaging boards during development.
Flash programming is seamlessly integrated into the test process,
allowing for automatic data customization based on serial number or
hardware configuration. With extensive experience supporting thousands
of flash memory devices, FPGAs, and CPUs, XJTAG continuously
expands its compatibility.
XJTAG supports both stand-alone flash chips and on-board flash in SoC
devices, ensuring a flexible and efficient programming solution tailored to
your needs.
Test on your production line with speed
and precision
Integrate XJTAG into your manufacturing process to streamline
your testing and produce detailed test logs
Fast and accurate testing offers you increased coverage even for pins
hidden under BGAs and for nets without test points. Save time by
testing multiple boards simultaneously. Pinpoint the problem device
when assembly faults are found.
Integrating XJTAG into your production line improves efficiency by
automating and optimizing multi-chain boundary scan tests, and
enables adaptive testing with minimal operator input.
XJRunner provides pass/fail results with detailed audit logs, allowing
you to investigate issues using layout and schematic viewers. XJTAG’s
flexible software supports rapid updates for different board variants,
while portable XJLink test controllers simplify license management.
Designed for seamless integration with test executives and ATE machines,
XJTAG provides test controllers in multiple form factors, including PXI
for LabVIEW. Expert support provided by real engineers, as well as
video tutorials and library updates ensure smooth implementation.
Test your complex development boards
Quickly and easily design and develop your own tests,
improve test coverage and get detailed reports on any failures
XJTAG allows you to test your prototype hardware with no firmware,
making it ideal for debugging during development. It enables you to
identify both design and assembly issues, as well as to maximize test
coverage by highlighting areas with limitations.
With XJTAG you can achieve superior test coverage by leveraging
boundary scan to access otherwise unreachable pins, reducing the
need for complex fixtures.
The intuitive IDE simplifies PCB test creation and execution, offering a
vast library of pre-built device models and supporting both JTAG and
non-JTAG components, including LEDs and DDR5 memory. The system
quickly isolates faults, pinpointing shorts and missing resistors with
detailed diagnostics.
XJTAG requires no prior coding experience, offering a user-friendly
interface and customizable test scripts. You can develop test scripts that
interact with your board in real time, offering full control of your testing.
Scan for more details
For more information on all our products,
hardware and software, scan the QR code
to be taken to the XJTAG website.
Faster, Smarter Testing with XJTAG
www.xjtag.com
enquiries@xjtag.com
Bespoke Development
We can provide everything you need, from
individual device models (if they are not
already in the included libraries) to cabling
and adaptors, all the way to full turnkey test
systems to meet your testing and
programming requirements.
Use XJDirect to program the internal flash of
your processors or SoCs, and carry out
non-boundary scan, at-speed functional test
of connected devices – all from tests
within XJRunner.
Get a Test Coverage Report
If you can share data for your design, XJTAG
engineers will briefly review your circuit to
verify its testability, and will generate a report
indicating likely test coverage so you can
assess the economic benefits of using XJTAG.
Book a Demo
Join a call with our experienced sales
engineers and see a demonstration of the
capabilities that are important to you.
Contact your local distributor to arrange a call.
Start your Free Trial
Try the full XJTAG system with no limitations
with hardware shipped straight to you to
explore our capabilities for yourself.
Contact your local distributor to organize a trial.
Get a free Board Setup
After providing a test coverage report, our
applications engineers will set up a simple test
project for your board, so that you can see the
project setup, and evaluate the tests in action.
We will work with you to achieve the test
coverage you need, even before a
commitment to purchase.
Try XJTAG Remotely
Remotely access our hardware to explore
XJTAG with no limitations. Follow our
step-by-step video tutorials or join a live
session with one of our applications engineers.
Plus, watch a collection of videos showcasing
our latest features. Go to xjtag.com/workshop
Integrate into your test system
You can integrate XJTAG with ATE machines,
test executives such as NI LabVIEW™,
NI LabWindows™ or custom applications
written in Visual Basic and C#.
All of this functionality is included as standard
for you to use.
Explore a range of Accessories
XJTAG provides a variety of accessories from
simple adaptor boards to more complex,
active boards which can extend test coverage
by carrying out more complex tests or adding
additional I/O to the system.
Get Started Today
www.xjtag.com
enquiries@xjtag.com
XJDeveloper Plus
Extended IDE for Test & Programming
Development & Debug
Develop Test Projects
Intelligent project setup
Multi-board setups
Huge test library of devices
Hundreds of supported netlist formats
Powerful XJEase scripting
Integrated test debugger
Test coverage reports
ALL MODULES INCLUDED
XJRunner
Run-time manufacturing test & program
XJAnalyser
Real-time graphical board debug
XJFlash
Industry-leading fast flash programmer
OPTIONAL
Network Licensing
XJAnalyser Module
Using the graphical interface you can interact with devices in
your JTAG chain to debug your boards. You simply click on a
pin to control its state – no code required.
*XJAnalyser is also available as a standalone application
at the same price.
XJFlash Module
Using the XJFlash module, you can program flash connected
to an FPGA at speeds limited only by the flash device itself.
You can improve flash programming speeds up to 50-fold
with certain flash/FPGA configurations.
Network Licensing
Network licensing gives you the ability to access any of your
software from a connected PC anywhere in the world. Add this
to each piece of software you need to be network licensed.
For each network license server, there is a one-off setup charge.
This charge is the same for both virtual and physical servers.
Support & Maintenance
Included for free in the first year, you’ll get:
Technical support from our expert applications engineers
available by email, phone and live support.
Free hardware repair or replacement for failures in
reasonable use
Regular library updates expanding our supported devices
across all of our products
Discounted product upgrades if your needs change.
Immediate access to new software releases with new
features at no extra cost.
Auxiliary Controllers
Additional controllers can be used to increase capacity
without the need for additional software licenses. Simply
connect extra controllers to a PC that already has one license,
and the functionality of that license can be used with all
connected controllers. Just buy the controller, without any
need for a software license.
XJDeveloper
IDE for Test & Programming
Development & Debug
Develop Test Projects
Intelligent project setup
Multi-board setups
Huge test library of devices
Hundreds of supported netlist formats
Powerful XJEase scripting
Integrated test debugger
Test coverage reports
INCLUDED MODULE
XJRunner
Run-time manufacturing test & program
OPTIONAL
XJAnalyser
XJFlash
Network Licensing
XJRunner
Run-time Manufacturing Test &
Programming Environment
Execute Tests
Short, open faults
Automated connection test
Parallel testing with auxiliary controllers
JTAG chain debugger
Layout viewer
Schematic viewer
Log files
Fault dictionaries
LabVIEW / TestStand integration
OPTIONAL
XJAnalyser
Network Licensing
Software
BEST VALUE
www.xjtag.com
enquiries@xjtag.com
XJLink2-3070
+5 V Voltage Protection
1
JTAG Controller
4
TAPs
18
GPIO on Pins
2
Voltage Banks
2
Dedicated GND pins
Up to 166 MHz TCK Frequencies
Configurable Voltage
Frequency Measurements
Voltage Measurements
Automatic Signal Skew Control
Button to Start Tests
Visual Indication of Test Status
Connection: Keysight – i3070
XJLink2-3030
+5 V Voltage Protection
1
JTAG Controller
4
TAPs
18
GPIO on Pins
2
Voltage Banks
2
Dedicated GND pins
Up to 166 MHz TCK Frequencies
Configurable Voltage
Frequency Measurements
Voltage Measurements
Automatic Signal Skew Control
Button to Start Tests
Visual Indication of Test Status
Connection: SPEA – 3030
XJQuad
+5 V Voltage Protection
4
JTAG Controllers
4
TAPs per JTAG Controller
18
GPIO on Pins per Controller
2
Voltage Banks per Controller
2
Dedicated GND pins per Controller
Up to 166 MHz TCK Frequencies
Configurable Voltage
Frequency Measurements
Voltage Measurements
Automatic Signal Skew Control
Button to Start Tests
Visual Indication of Test Status
Connection: USB
XJLink2
+5 V Voltage Protection
1
JTAG Controller
4
TAPs
18
GPIO on Pins
2
Voltage Banks
2
Dedicated GND pins
Up to 166 MHz TCK Frequencies
Configurable Voltage
Frequency Measurements
Voltage Measurements
Automatic Signal Skew Control
Button to Start Tests
Visual Indication of Test Status
Connection: USB
PXI-XJLink2
+5 V Voltage Protection
1
JTAG Controller
4
TAPs
18
GPIO on Pins
2
Voltage Banks
2
Dedicated GND pins
Up to 166 MHz TCK Frequencies
Configurable Voltage
Frequency Measurements
Voltage Measurements
Automatic Signal Skew Control
Button to Start Tests
Visual Indication of Test Status
Connection: PXI
XJLink-PF40
±30 V Voltage Protection
1
JTAG Controller
8
TAPs
40
GPIO on Pins
4
Voltage Banks
40
Dedicated GND pins
Up to 166 MHz TCK Frequencies
Configurable Voltage
Frequency Measurements
Voltage Measurements
Automatic Signal Skew Control
Button to Start Tests
Visual Indication of Test Status
Mounting Options Available
Connection: USB
Controllers
www.xjtag.com
enquiries@xjtag.com
Three simple letters – BGA
An increasing number of devices are supplied in Ball Grid Array
(BGA) packaging. Each BGA device on a board imposes severe
restrictions on the testing that can be done using traditional
bed-of-nails or flying probe machines.
Using a simple four-pin interface, JTAG boundary scan allows
the signals on enabled devices to be controlled and monitored
without any direct physical access.
Lower test development & NRE costs
As different processors and FPGAs interact with peripherals in
different ways, traditional functional test requires costly custom
development for each board. JTAG boundary scan significantly
reduces such development costs because it provides a simplified
interface to control the I/O pins used for peripheral interactions.
This standard interface is the same for all JTAG-enabled devices,
allowing the use of a generic set of reusable test models when
building test systems.
The non-recurring engineering (NRE) expenses of building test
fixtures can be prohibitively high. In many cases, using JTAG
boundary scan will remove the need for such a fixture, in other
cases the fixture can be dramatically simplified resulting in
significant cost savings.
Shorter test times
For boards with low production volumes it has always been
difficult to justify the cost of test fixture development. Flying probe
testing can be one alternative, however, the test cycle times tend
to be high. JTAG boundary scan testing gives fast test times with
no need for a costly fixture.
Production-level benchtop tests for prototypes
Traditional test technologies require very large and expensive
equipment. The only test equipment required for JTAG boundary
scan testing is a JTAG controller – XJTAG’s XJLink2 controller is
a similar size to a PC mouse.
Excellent fault diagnostics
JTAG boundary scan, unlike
functional test, provides high
precision fault information to help
with rapid repair. XJTAG also
provides the capability to view
both the physical location of a fault
on the layout of the board and the
logical design of the area of the
circuit in which the fault exists on
the schematic.
One tool for test and programming
JTAG is often already used as one step in production: programming.
By also using JTAG for boundary scan test it is possible to
reduce the number of steps and handling operations in the
production process.
Recover boards that are ‘dead’ to functional test
XJTAG boundary scan tests can be run on any board with a
working JTAG interface. Traditional functional tests cannot be run
if the board does not boot; simple faults on key peripherals, such
as RAM or clocks, would be found using JTAG but would prevent
functional tests from providing any diagnostic information.
“XJTAG offers incredible
power, performance
and versatility...”
ARM – Andy Evans,
Sr Product Engineer, Platforms,
Development Systems
“We selected the XJTAG
system due to its price,
the speed and accuracy
of fault diagnosis...”
Curtiss-Wright – Alan McCormick,
MD, Video and Graphics Group
“XJTAG has features
that are vastly superior
to other systems
I know...”
Eaton – James Diem,
Test Engineering Manager
“XJTAG is easy to use,
highly effective and
flexible... The reuse of
tests is a big time-saver.”
Saab – Eduard Stander, Controllers
Group, Electronic Defence Systems
Seven reasons why you should use XJTAG
XJTAG-BRCR-25B-01-US
Most likely short locations
Identified short
Case Study
www.xjtag.com
www.xjtag.com
1223
The versatility of the XJTAG system
made it an attractive choice for world-
leading defense and security specialist
Saab, which needed a reliable test
solution to test multi-layer development
boards destined for airborne and naval
electronic warfare systems used in its
IDAS and CIDAS products.
“We have initially used XJTAG in
the production environment to test
our complex, high density, multi-
layered board designs containing
FPGAs and CPLDs, and have
recently introduced the solution to
the development and debug stage
with great success,” says Eduard
Stander, who works for the Controllers
Group at Saab’s Electronic Defense
Systems, South Africa.
“Using XJAnalyser has allowed us to
reduce initial debug issues, and to
debug errors in a shorter time than our
existing tools allowed us.”
“We have found that using the
XJTAG solution, and the Layout Viewer
in particular, has quantifiably reduced
the cost of developing product test
jigs in our production test department,
because of the fast and accurate
diagnosis the system provides.”
“We now can test products that
have processors, SDRAM and FLASH
memories, Ethernet PHYs, A/D
Converters, real time clocks, serial
ports, voltage regulators.”
The team at Saab opted for
XJTAG because of its superior
cost-to-performance ratio and, like
many of XJTAG’s customers, they
were particularly impressed with the
flexibility of the system.
XJTAG makes it easy to write test
routines for devices and allows users
to store them in a library so they can
be reused again when the same, or a
similar component, is used.
The XJTAG Professional System
provides an extensive library of
reusable scripts while XJEase,
XJTAG’s high-level test description
language, allows engineers to write
and customize tests for JTAG and
non-JTAG components without
needing to understand how
boundary scan works. These tests
can be re-used throughout the
product lifecycle as well as in
subsequent projects wherever the
same component is used.
“The reuse of tests on the XJTAG
system is a big time saver,” says
Eduard. “The design for test (DFT)
reports help us ensure that a very high
percentage of our circuits are testable
before we go into serial production
and, with the aid of boundary scan
tests, we get closer to our goal of
100% test coverage on production
Shop Replaceable Units (SRU).”
He adds: “XJTAG’s high-level test
description language XJEase is
central to this flexibility. The ability to
design low level test with XJEase is a
real advantage as the test scripts let
you drive the non-JTAG components
directly.”
Eduard says the company’s next
step is to integrate XJTAG’s portable
boundary scan oscilloscope product
– XJTAG Expert – with its functional
test equipment. “XJTAG is easy to
use, highly effective and flexible
enough to evolve with our test
strategies as we focus on improving
speed and productivity.”
“
The reuse of tests on the XJTAG system is a big time saver. The
design for test (DFT) reports help us ensure that a very high percentage
of our circuits are testable before we go into serial production and, with
the aid of boundary scan tests, we get closer to our goal of 100% test
coverage on production Shop Replaceable Units (SRU).”
“
We have initially used XJTAG in the production environment to test
our complex, high density, multi-layered board designs containing
FPGAs and CPLDs, and have recently introduced the solution to the
development and debug stage with great success.”
Saab serves the global market with world-leading solutions,
products and services ranging from military defense to civil
security. With operations and employees on every continent, Saab
continuously develops, adapts and improves new technology to
meet customers’ changing needs. Saab operates in five business
areas: Aeronautics, Dynamics, Electronic Defense Systems,
Security and Defense Solutions, and Support and Services.
Saab Cuts Costs and Boosts Productivity with XJTAG
® Boundary Scan
“
Defense and Security company Saab selected the XJTAG development system to speed up the process of
debugging and testing multi-layer development boards destined for its IDAS and CIDAS projects used in
electronic warfare systems.”
Company
Saab
HQ Sweden
Nature of
Defense and security solutions
business
Customers
Global market with world-leading
products, services and solutions
from military defense to
civil security
Locations
Operations on every continent
Employees
13,000
Revenue
SEK 23,5 billion
20% related to R&D
Web site
www.saabgroup.com
opinion
Eduard Stander
Controllers Group
Saab
photos: Saab
VDD
23
OSC1
10
OSC0
VDD
15
VDD
LDO
VDD
32
QN
D1
150R
R12
150R
R13
D2
D3
150R
R14
150R
R15
D4
LED4
LED1
LED2
LED3
LEDC
100R
R10
820R
R11
CPUTDO
XilTDO
CPUTDI
XilTDO
NandGate
+3.3v
1uF
C2
11
12
13
IC8D
SN74LVC00ADBLE
3.68MHza
56pF
C13
TRST
1K
R23
51R
R22
GND
1K
R24
LDO
LEDs
68MHz Clock
GND
+3.3v
TCK
TCK
10K
R2
10K
R31
GND
+3.3v
A12
A11
Pull Resistors
100R
R36
100R
R34
470R
R35
3.68MHzb
3.68MHzc
3.68MHza
JP2
Header 2
JP3
Header 2
JP4
Header 2
JP5
Header 2
GND
R37
R38
10K
+3
TMS
CPUTDI
JTAG Chain Options
ARM
www.xjtag.com
www.xjtag.com
712
To support the company’s SoC IP,
ARM has developed a strong base of
development tools, software and
hardware products. For example, its
range of RealView® development
solutions are ideal systems for
customers prototyping ARM
processor-based products and are
suitable for architecture and CPU
evaluation, hardware and software
design, and ASIC emulation. These
development platforms are typically
highly complex, high density, twelve-
to-sixteen layer board designs,
containing multiple high pin-count ball
grid array (BGA) devices including
processors, ASICs, FPGAs and CPLDs.
“Our development platforms
are used extensively across the
business and are designed to deliver
significant risk reduction and faster
time-to-market benefits to our
Partners,” said Spencer Saunders,
Engineering Manager, Platforms,
Development Systems, ARM.
“With tens of thousands of pins
on each board, we recognized that
it would not be possible to validate
these circuits in a commercially
realistic timescale without the use
of a boundary scan test system.”
After evaluating the different
competitive options, the engineering
team at ARM’s development facility
in Cambridge, UK, selected the XJTAG
boundary scan development system.
The XJTAG system has enabled ARM
to speed up the process of debug
and test, get test coverage up to
around the 90 percent mark and to
significantly improve production yields.
“XJTAG offers incredible power,
performance and versatility and can
test both boundary scan (JTAG) and
cluster (non-JTAG) devices including
BGA and chip scale packages,” said
Andy Evans, Senior Product
Engineer, Platforms, Development
Systems, ARM.
“XJTAG is easy to use, the test
scripts for non-JTAG devices follow
the familiar top-down design flow, and
these test scripts are device-centric,
making them re-usable from project
to project, which saves ARM an awful
lot of time.”
ARM is currently using XJTAG on
its latest generation of RealView
platform baseboards, and, because
of its built-in design-for-test (DFT)
functionality, it has been used right
from the very beginning of the design
process to help improve the design
and reduce respins.
“XJTAG’s DFT capability is
extremely powerful and saves us a
great deal of time, as it automatically
handles any netlist changes by
adapting to the new circuit
connections, thereby avoiding the
time-consuming process of manually
picking through the netlist for errors,”
said Spencer Saunders.
“In addition, XJTAG’s powerful
circuit visualization tool provides us
with a simple graphical view of the
state of all JTAG pins across the
multiple BGA devices and enables
us to quickly pinpoint specific faults
on our boards and speed up the
whole debug process.”
ARM and RealView are registered trademarks of ARM
Limited. All other brands or product names are the
property of their respective holders. “ARM” is used to
represent ARM Holdings plc; its operating company
ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM INC.;
ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan; ARM France
SAS; ARM Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.; ARM
Belgium N.V.; AXYS Design Automation Inc.; AXYS
GmbH; ARM Embedded Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; and ARM
Physical IP, Inc.; and ARM Norway AS.
“
The XJTAG boundary scan system is an extremely powerful,
versatile and cost-effective product which has enabled ARM to
improve and speed up the process of debugging and testing its
RealView development tools. With XJTAG, we are now close to
meeting our target for 90 percent test coverage and ten-minutes-
per-board production test, but we also have a boundary scan
system that allows tests to be recorded, refined and repeatedly
re-used throughout the development cycle both by our
engineering team and our contract manufacturing partners.”
ARM® technology lies at the heart of advanced digital products from
mobile, home and enterprise solutions to embedded and emerging
applications. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit
RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital
libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development
tools, as well as analogue functions and high-speed connectivity products.
ARM Selects XJTAG
® for Debug and Test of its RealView Development Tools
“
ARM, the world’s leading semiconductor intellectual property (IP) supplier, has reduced the time and cost of
developing its range of RealView development tools by using the XJTAG boundary scan development system to
improve and speed up the process of debugging and testing its high density, multi-layer development boards.”
Company
ARM Holdings
Nature of
World’s leading semiconductor
business
IP supplier
Main
16/32-bit RISC microprocessors,
products
data engines, graphics processors,
digital libraries, embedded memories,
software and development tools,
peripherals, analogue functions and
high-speed connectivity products
Locations
ARM has facilities/offices in
North America, Europe,
the Middle East, Far East and India
Employees
Approx. 1659
Revenues
£263.3 million (2006)
Web site
www.arm.com
Andy Evans, Senior Product Engineer at ARM
opinion
Spencer Saunders
Engineering Manager
Platform, Development Systems
ARM
Eaton
www.xjtag.com
www.xjtag.com
1322
A test engineering team at Eaton,
led by Test Engineering Manager
James Diem, has over a decade of
experience testing prototypes and
production assemblies using
boundary scan equipment. Boundary
scan provides a fast and effective
means of testing devices like DSPs,
microprocessors, FPGAs and
memories in surface-mount packages
such as Ball Grid Array (BGA).
“Boundary scan testing can be highly
effective, especially if device pins are
inaccessible, but even well-known
test systems can be difficult to use
and do not easily allow updating of
tests or integration with a third-party
test program,” says James Diem.
“We found the solution to such
challenges after one of our design
engineers saw XJTAG being
demonstrated at a trade exposition,
and told us how easy it can be to
create applications, generate tests,
and subsequently modify test code.
“XJTAG has features that are vastly
superior to other systems I know. The
learning curve for new users is
dramatically shorter; one training
session with XJTAG gave me enough
knowledge to start developing simple
programs. Now, I can create a
complete test for a new board in a
matter of days, whereas other
systems can require weeks of work.
I particularly like the BOM and CAD
import features, the “Categorise
Devices” screen and the
pin-mapping capability, which
simplify initial test generation.
“Unlike other systems, XJTAG
makes it easy to ‘get underneath
the hood’ to update programs, and
also provides example tests that help
engineers learn how to get the best
from boundary scan.” James Diem
also praises other features of XJTAG,
such as its convenient ‘floating’
license, the large and growing library of
tests for standard parts, and the high
level of customer service provided.
“When I ask questions I have complete
confidence that my requests are
understood and that I will receive the
answers I need,” he comments.
Eaton is using XJTAG for testing
prototype and production assemblies.
For production, XJTAG is integrated
directly into systems running tests
that are written in C for Virtual
Instruments (CVI). The boundary scan
programs are first developed using
XJTAG’s XJDeveloper environment
and then embedded into CVI.
Engineers are using XJTAG for tasks
such as extending test coverage to
include parts connected to the
boundary scan chain such as
switches, potentiometers, LEDs or
logic devices, programming
microprocessors in situ, and extra
testing of production boards
undergoing functional test.
James Diem sums up, “We have
been working with XJTAG for over
a year now, and I can say that it
matches or exceeds the capabilities of
our previous system in every respect.”
“
XJTAG has features that are vastly superior to other systems
I know. The learning curve for new users is dramatically shorter.”
“
I can create a complete test for a new board in a matter of days.
The BOM and CAD import features, the “Categorise Devices” screen
and the pin-mapping capability simplify initial test generation. Unlike
other systems, XJTAG makes it easy to ‘get underneath the hood’ to
update programs.”
“
We have been working with XJTAG for over a year now, and
I can say that it does everything as well as or better than our
previous system.”
Eaton is a multi-billion dollar diversified power management company
with global presence and a history of innovation dating back to 1911.
Today, as a leader in power management products and services, Eaton
has in-house electronics competencies covering areas such as
industrial controls, metering, motor protection and communications.
XJTAG
® Delivers Better Boundary Scan Experience for Global Technology Leader
“
Familiar with the advantages of boundary scan, but frustrated by the limitations of well-known JTAG test systems,
engineers at industrial-technology giant Eaton have switched to XJTAG. XJTAG is fast and easy to learn, provides
convenient project setup features, allows control over test code, and enables integration with production test equipment.”
Company
Eaton, HQ Ireland
Nature of
Global technology leader in electrical
business
products, systems and services for
energy-efficient power management
Main
Power distribution and circuit protection;
products
backup power protection; control and
automation; lighting and security;
structural solutions and wiring devices;
solutions for harsh and hazardous
environments; and engineering services
Customers
Industrial, commercial and
residential markets worldwide
Employees 103,000 worldwide
Revenues
US$ 21.8 billion sales
Web site
www.eaton.com
opinion
James Diem
Test Engineering Manager
Eaton
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DATA CENTERS
Thales
www.xjtag.com
www.xjtag.com
542
As with many of today’s network-
centric systems, the SDR uses the very
latest technology. For example, the
baseband boards in the MSN 8100-H
are densely populated and use fine
pitch high density connectors, as well
as large and expensive BGA/FPGA
devices, all of which make the boards
difficult to test by traditional methods.
To overcome these debug and
testing challenges, Thales has
adopted the XJTAG system for use
by development and production
engineers at its Crawley, West
Sussex (England) facility. The XJTAG
system is also being used by Thales’
contract manufacturing partner.
Initially, the XJTAG system will be
used to debug and test the baseband
PCBs that form part of the MSN
8100-H SDR.
“It made sense for us to use the
JTAG chain for debug and testing,
as more and more devices on our
boards were JTAG-enabled – and we
opted for the XJTAG system as it
was the best and most cost-effective
solution,” said Gary Delamare, Senior
Engineer, Thales. “The XJTAG system
is truly intuitive – it’s almost a plug
and play solution. We were up and
running within half a day using the
tutorial and development board, and
test coverage, for digital circuits, is up
around the 80 percent mark already.”
The XJTAG system is designed
to cut the cost and shorten the
development cycle of electronic
products and provides a unique
solution that can test JTAG as well
as non-JTAG devices. XJTAG can
test a high proportion of a circuit
including BGA and chip scale
devices, SDRAMs, Ethernet
controllers, video interfaces, flash
memories, FPGAs, microprocessors
and many other devices. XJTAG can
be used to debug and test any
circuit provided it has at least one
JTAG-compliant device present.
The ability to program Flash
memories and other non-JTAG
devices was an important factor for
Thales. By using XJEase (the XJTAG
system’s high-level test description
language for manipulating non-JTAG
devices), engineers had a rapid
means of programming Flash
memories both at the development
stage and through into production.
“Unlike other JTAG tools, XJEase
enables circuit developers to re-use
XJEase scripts in different projects,”
added Gary Delamare. “This portability
is really valuable and is not available
with traditional programming tools
which tend to be tied to one
particular processor.”
Thales UK's defense activities
encompass optronics, air defense,
sensors, communications and naval
systems. The company is the UK's
second largest defense contractor
and has been a supplier to the MoD
since the First World War. Thales
employs 10,000 staff in the UK and
60,000 people in 50 countries.
“
XJTAG is a fast, extremely versatile and cost-effective tool for
generating high test coverage on PCBs containing both JTAG and
non-JTAG devices. The XJTAG system has enabled us to cut the
development time for debugging and testing boards by around 20
percent and it has provided the basis for a common design for
test strategy, spanning development, first article build, production
and field service. We looked at other boundary scan solutions but
we opted for XJTAG due to its price and ease of use, and the fact
that test scripts are device rather than board-centric, which
makes them reusable on different projects.”
Thales’ MSN 8100-H software-defined radio (SDR) platform, the first
European operational software radio, has been designed as the
primary
component
of
a
comprehensive
high
frequency
communication network benefiting from the attributes of a versatile,
programmable and configurable multi-channel receiver/exciter. This
radio is designed for naval and ground based applications and will be
used on the Royal Navy’s next class of Destroyers, the Type 45,
scheduled to enter service in 2009.
Thales Selects XJTAG
® for Software Radio Testing
“
Thales needed a fast, extremely versatile and cost-effective boundary scan solution to debug and test complex
printed circuit boards (PCBs) used in its market-leading range of software defined radios (SDRs).”
opinion
Simon Holder
Hardware Design Manager
Thales
Company
Thales
Nature of
UK’s second largest defense
business
contractor
Main
Flight simulation, secure
product
transactions, integrated
communications, naval and air
defense systems
Customers
Military and industrial
Locations
60 sites across the UK
Employees
10,000 in the UK,
60,000 worldwide
Revenues
£1.1bn in 2004
Web site
www.thalesgroup.com