PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
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JTAG Technologies - boundary-scan integration
Boundary-scan integration - pin-card controller simplifies installation and portability
JTAG Technologies has announced a dramatic improvement in integrating
boundary-scan within the popular 3070 In-Circuit Test (ICT) systems of
Agilent Corporation. The new JT 37x7 / APC controller combines in a
single plug-in unit all of the hardware elements required for a
high-performance boundary-scan solution for PCB testing and in-system
programming. Because the APCTM is fully compatible with a
single-density 3070 pin-card slot, the new unit provides extremely
convenient installation with minimum cabling and thus optimum signal
performance.
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Other methods of combining boundary-scan with the 3070 rely on
inserting a controller in a spare PCI or ISA slot within the ICT and
then adding a TAP front-end somewhere between the controller and the
test fixture. The installation is often difficult and the resulting
cabling is cumbersome and prone to signal degradation. Some solutions
are even more cumbersome, requiring installation of a separate PC,
so-called "external" integration. All of these difficulties and
compromises are overcome by the JT 37x7 / APC.
Within the APC is a full-function JTAG Technologies TSI controller
along with signal conditioning for four high-speed boundary-scan test
access ports (TAPs). The controller is capable of a sustained clock
rate of 40 MHz and contains all of the performance-enhancing attributes
of the DataBlaster line of controllers including expandable image
memory, autonomous operation, programmable voltages and AutoWriteTM
control for fast flash programming. The APC also provides the means to
isolate system ground from the unit under test during unpowered testing.
The APC interfaces to the 3070 test head controller via an Ethernet
port, and it receives power from the 3070 motherboard. No external
connections or ribbon cables are required between the APC outputs and
the test fixture; the fixture interface is via the normal MINT (Module
INTerface) pins. The associated Symphony run-time software for the 3070
is available for both the HP-UX and Windows operating systems.
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