Column Control DTX

Flashing Solutions-Dedicated Platform for Flash Programming

Technical Overviews

 Keysight’s flashing station for programming of industrial and automotive devices:

  • Reduces cost of flashing
  • Enables flexible flashing strategy and optimized line balance
  • Saves flash programming time
  • Wide range of supported target chips
  • Flexible generic fixture platform
  • Easily expandable
  • Open system platform
  • Turnkey solution
  • Multi-UUT Flash-Sequencer software
  • Flash-Sequencer software
  • Reduced complexity
  • Use in production
  • Open interface to data bases and device control flow

The purpose of flashing solutions is to program chips on the board-based target device (e.g. startup EEPROM storages) either by direct pin access of the chips’ boundary pins or by utilizing the processor on the target board. Depending on the target de­vice, the boundary scan architecture (JTAG) might alternatively be used for programming tasks. The success of programming gets verified through calculation of the checksum.

There are many possible locations to program the target device in the production line – which leads to the question: which one may be the most efficient? The answer to the question cannot be given in a simple postulate. It is dependent on the current ap­plication and includes considerations that have effects on the design of the production line and its logistics.

Table 1 shows the pros and cons of where to program. This may help the user to make decisions and/or to define a flashing strategy.

A flashing strategy does not have to be a static decision for one or another specific test step but may be very flexible and dynamic to be optimized according to production and specific product requirements.

Having a separate flash station can allow for both in-circuit test and functional test resources to be bal­anced. There can even be a dynamic balance when using the same flash programming components and methodology both on the ICT and the flashing station.

Keysight Flashing Station

The Keysight Technologies, Inc.Flash­ing Station-based solution comprises a system within a standard rack to be connected to a generic fixture platform.

The system’s PC controller comes with the Test Exec SL Sequencer software which controls the flashing process and provides a programmer and operator interface. The basic instrumentations are the UUT power supplies, auxiliary power supplies for the flash devices and switching resources e.g. for automation pur­poses within the fixture. The system may contain further instrumentation in cases where functional tests are planned to be combined with the flashing process.

The fixture architecture has two ele­ments: the Fixture-Base (containing platform support and flash instru­mentation) and the UUT Adapters (both solutions are possible here: bed of needles or functional test adaptation).

This design encapsulates the position of the flash devices precisely at the place where they should be: in the base fixture. This allows the most flexible distribution of the expensive flash equipment on the production line and an assembly close to the UUT in order to guarantee short sig­nal paths. Additionally this approach provides basic functionality for the integration of one or several flashing technologies.

The exchangeable UUT adapters al­low easy administration of different UUTs. This framework architecture essentially ensures that the UUT elements and fixture base units can remain as distinct components in the entire system. This allows the cost of UUT adapters to be kept at a minimum and yet enable the UUTs to benefit from the functionality of the fixture base and test system

The Keysight TestExec SL Software Reduces Development Time

The TestExec SL software comes pre-installed on the industrial PC (IPC) and is ready to be uses for software development. It provides a complete test development and test execution environment which also allows you to organize and order tests, reconfigure the test parameters, profile the ex­ecution speed and debug tests. The software also provides an efficient and effective structure for develop­ing the test plans and sequencing for flashing tasks.

Several key features in the TestExec SL help the user to reduce software development time:

The Flashing Station’s topol­ogy and wiring are completely mapped to the TestExec SL software, enabling the user working on a UUT-centric abstraction layer with ease of test development.

  1. Streamlined test execution is enabled by a simple hierarchi­cal structure leveraging ad­vanced executive tools which include advanced sequencing and test flow controls, as well as debugging tools.
  2. Increased productivity is enabled by the throughput multiplier that enables parallel multiple-UUT flashing for higher throughput. The Test Profiler helps to evaluate and analyze post-testing performance.
  3.  Integrated test efforts are enabled by the Open archi­tecture using Microsoft® COM standard for easy sharing. Data logging and reporting with customizable format for data­base systems are available.

×

Please have a salesperson contact me.

*Indicates required field

Preferred method of communication? *Required Field
Preferred method of communication? Change email?
Preferred method of communication?

By clicking the button, you are providing Keysight with your personal data. See the Keysight Privacy Statement for information on how we use this data.

Thank you.

A sales representative will contact you soon.

Column Control DTX