In-Circuit Test Channel Partner Interview Series, QXQ, Inc.

This article is the continuation of our series of educational pieces relating to in-circuit test ixture solution providers that Keysight Technologies, Inc. regularly works with. In this article, Keysight’s Americas Development Manager associated with the ICT products, Stacy Johnson sat down with Corey Schwartz. Corey Schwartz is the North American Sales Manager for QXQ, Inc.

Johnson: What changes has your company seen within the ICT fixture industry for the last 5 years or so? 

Schwartz: Manufacturing sites have changed. Several original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) are no longer doing their own manufacturing and a lot of manufacturing has moved overseas. In addition, boards continue to be more complex. They have more nets, smaller test targets and closer spacing. Just a few years ago designers and manufacturers tried to stay away from test points with 50 mil spacing and today, QXQ sees an inlux of boards with 39 mil spacing. Also, boards are dirtier, contain more components and more ball grid arrays (BGAs). Fixtures are requiring higher force probes, more probes under BGA’s and less allowable lex of the board

 Johnson: What do you think is driving that? 

Schwartz: Consolidation of manufacturing equipment, lower labor costs and OEM’s cutting departments are driving the site by site changes. The board complexity is being driven by the continuous evolution of the industry. This drives new test and fixture technology. 

Johnson: What are you doing to respond?

 Schwartz: QXQ continues to shorten delivery times, offer advanced technologies and increase worldwide support. More fixtures require zero lex, guided probe and other advanced mechanics to reduce board stress. More strain gage testing is being done to measure actual board strain, or board lex. Implementing enhanced fixture quality controls including verification on an ICT tester is also helping QXQ differentiate. 

Johnson: What technology changes with ICT do you see impacting the fixturing industry the most? 

Schwartz: QxQ works with several industry leaders – suppliers, customers, designers and QXQ stays in touch with test innovations to align fixture developments with those innovations in a quality and timely manner. Working with customers, discussing their upcoming board designs and testability long before the board is manufactured helps immensely. This allows QXQ to make prototype fixtures with unique features to verify designs on prototype boards so by the time the final version goes into production it has the features required for test. This is one way QxQ fixtures can support the latest technology 

Johnson: What benefits does having a channel partnership with Keysight provide your customers? 

Schwartz: The Keysight channel partner program helps QXQ by having an avenue to learn and be trained on new technologies prior to release. It helps Keysight by providing them with current data on market trends and industry concerns so new technologies can be developed. All of this helps the customer. As a leading provider of test fixtures we work with both Keysight and the early adopters on coverage and fixture designs and work together in developing solutions. This gives us additional solutions to pass on to other customers to help them with their test challenge