Keysight High-Density ICT Improves Automotive BZCU Production Throughput

As electric vehicle (EV) technology advances, automotive electronics manufacturers face growing pressure to increase production throughput while maintaining comprehensive test coverage and manufacturing efficiency. Modern electric vehicles increasingly adopt zonal electronic architectures, in which body zone control units (BZCUs) coordinate multiple electronic functions within designated vehicle zones. As these controllers become larger and more complex, manufacturers require high-density in-circuit test (ICT) solutions capable of supporting additional test resources, faster production cycles, and future product development without increasing factory floor space.

This case study explores how a leading automotive electronics manufacturer improved BZCU production throughput by upgrading to the Keysight E9988GL i3070 Series 7i High-Density In-Circuit Test System. The solution addressed critical test-node limitations, expanded test coverage, improved printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) handling efficiency, and provided greater scalability for future electric vehicle manufacturing requirements.

Addressing Increasing Test Complexity in Automotive Electronics Manufacturing

The manufacturer produces body zone control units for major electric vehicle brands. As demand increased and BZCU designs became more sophisticated, its existing Keysight E9988EL in-circuit test platform approached its maximum testing capacity of 2,592 nodes.

The BZCU under test measured 350 × 400 mm and contained approximately 2,300 test points. However, additional resources required for four-wire measurements increased the total testing demand to more than 2,800 resources, exceeding the existing platform's capacity.

This limitation created challenges in maintaining complete test coverage, supporting accurate fault isolation, and accommodating future product designs. The manufacturer also needed to shorten production cycle times and increase throughput to meet growing EV manufacturing demands.

Expanding the production line with additional test equipment was not an ideal solution because factory floor space was limited. Furthermore, replacing existing fixtures and test programs could increase engineering effort, implementation costs, and deployment risks.

The manufacturer therefore required a scalable, high-density ICT solution that could increase testing capacity, improve operational efficiency, and preserve existing manufacturing investments.

Implementing the Keysight i3070 Series 7i High-Density ICT Solution

After evaluating the available options, the manufacturer selected the Keysight E9988GL i3070 Series 7i In-Line High-Density In-Circuit Test System.

The E9988GL provides up to 5,760 test nodes, more than twice the capacity of the existing E9988EL platform. This substantial increase in available resources enabled the manufacturer to accommodate demanding four-wire measurements while maintaining comprehensive coverage across all 2,300 BZCU test points.

The system also supports PCBAs measuring up to 470 × 500 mm, compared with the previous platform's maximum board dimensions of 410 × 380 mm. This expanded board-handling capability provides greater flexibility for testing larger and more complex automotive electronic assemblies.

A key feature of the E9988GL is its Quad-Density (QD) pin card architecture, which increases test resource density while maintaining compatibility with existing E9988E and E9988EL fixtures.

The Quad-Density interface consists of three sections: A, B, and C. Section B retains full Double-Density capability, while Sections A and C provide additional test resources. This arrangement helps reduce potential probe conflicts and improves access to critical test signals.

By combining increased node capacity, higher resource density, and fixture compatibility, the Keysight i3070 Series 7i enabled the manufacturer to expand testing capabilities without introducing unnecessary complexity into its existing production environment.

Improving Production Throughput Through Faster PCBA Handling

Beyond expanding test capacity, the manufacturer needed to reduce non-test time and improve overall production throughput.

The Keysight E9988GL addresses these requirements through a faster top-press mechanism, optimized conveyor handling, and improved PCBA loading and unloading operations.

These enhancements delivered up to 10% faster PCBA exchange compared with the previous platform. By reducing the time required to transfer boards between testing operations, the manufacturer shortened production cycle times and improved manufacturing throughput.

Faster board handling is particularly valuable in high-volume automotive electronics production, where even small reductions in cycle time can contribute to greater line efficiency.

The improved handling system also allowed the manufacturer to increase production capacity without expanding its factory footprint, supporting more efficient use of existing manufacturing resources.

Expanding Test Coverage While Protecting Existing Investments

Following deployment, the manufacturer restored complete coverage of critical BZCU test nodes without removing test points or compromising measurement requirements.

The E9988GL's 5,760-node capacity supported all 2,300 test points, including the additional resources required for four-wire measurements. This enabled broader defect coverage and more precise fault isolation, helping the manufacturer maintain comprehensive testing as BZCU designs evolved.

Another important advantage was compatibility with existing fixtures and in-circuit test programs. The manufacturer could continue using established testing resources and retain its familiarity with the Keysight i3070 development environment.

This compatibility reduced the need for extensive redevelopment, minimized deployment risks, and helped protect previous investments in test infrastructure.

By preserving existing manufacturing knowledge and test assets, the manufacturer achieved a more practical transition to higher-density testing while maintaining operational continuity.

Enabling Future-Ready Automotive Electronics Manufacturing

The Keysight i3070 Series 7i also provides a scalable foundation for future electric vehicle production requirements.

With expanded test-node capacity, Quad-Density architecture, and support for larger PCBAs, the E9988GL can accommodate increasingly complex BZCU designs and future automotive electronics programs.

The higher resource density reduces the need for additional test systems, helping manufacturers optimize factory floor space and lower manufacturing cost per board.

These capabilities allow automotive electronics manufacturers to respond more effectively to evolving product requirements while maintaining efficient and reliable production processes.

Achieving Higher Throughput, Greater Coverage, and Long-Term Scalability

The deployment of the Keysight E9988GL i3070 Series 7i enabled the automotive electronics manufacturer to overcome critical test capacity constraints while improving production throughput and manufacturing flexibility.

By increasing test-node capacity from 2,592 to 5,760, supporting complete BZCU test coverage, and delivering up to 10% faster PCBA exchange, the solution addressed both immediate manufacturing challenges and future scalability requirements.

Fixture and test-program compatibility further reduced implementation complexity and protected existing investments.

This case study demonstrates how high-density in-circuit testing can help automotive electronics manufacturers improve test coverage, reduce non-test time, optimize production resources, and support the growing complexity of electric vehicle electronics manufacturing.