Vivace Networks reduces test costs and shortens its time-to-market with ASSET's ScanWorks
Because of the complexity of Vivace's printed circuit boards (PCBs), it was unable to achieve test coverage of more than 40 percent with in-circuit test (ICT) systems. Some of Vivace's boards have as many as 32 layers and are populated with ball grid arrays (BGAs) which cannot be tested by the physical test probes of ICT fixtures. Boundary-scan test, which does not require physical access to identify manufacturing interconnect faults, has vastly improved Vivace's test coverage and reduced its overall test costs.
"When we analyzed our designs to see where we could implement boundary-scan test, we realized that we would have better test coverage with boundary scan and that we could eliminate up to two-thirds of the physical test points that we had designed into our boards for ICT probes. This reduced the cost of our ICT fixtures by as much as $40,000 to $60,000 each and it reduced the time it took to fabricate the fixtures," said Dan Howley, Director of Manufacturing Engineering for Vivace Networks. "By using boundary-scan in concert with ICT test we have improved the quality of our product, reduced overall test time and cut the cost of ICT fixtures significantly."
Vivace Networks is developing and marketing fiber optic-based multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) systems for long-haul backbone applications on the public telephone network and the Internet. As a start-up company in a competitive market, Vivace's time-to-market for new products is extremely critical. Because ASSET's ScanWorks is the boundary-scan test system that runs on Agilent Technology's 3070 ICT systems, Vivace can re-use ScanWorks tests on both its ICT system and its boundary-scan test station, reducing test development time and each product's time-to-market.
"ScanWorks helps us to bring up tests very quickly so that our design engineers don't have to wait long to see how a new design is going to function," said Senior Test Engineer at Vivace, Rick Harper. "ScanWorks has shaved as much as three or four weeks off of the prototype verification process for each new design."
ASSET's ScanWorks boundary-scan test and ISP environment is currently used by leading electronics companies such as Cisco, Lucent Technologies, Ericsson, Intel, Rockwell International, EMC and others. As a leader in boundary-scan technology, ASSET gives its customers access to a complete solution, extending beyond hardware and software to consulting, service, training and support.
About Vivace Networks, Inc.
Founded in July 1999 and based in San Jose, Calif., Vivace Networks is a leading developer of optical service creation platforms for service providers that are creating the next generation public data network. Vivace Networks believes that multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) is the natural migration path for today's IP-based networks and is committed to delivering a broad range of MPLS switches for next-generation Internet, intranet and extranet applications. Based on powerful MPLS traffic engineering and multi-label tagging algorithms, the company's MPLS switches will enable connection-oriented network characteristics, such as QoS and security, while maintaining the superior scalability and flexibility characteristics of pure IP networks.
The Vivace team includes seasoned employees from leading technology companies including Cisco, 3Com, Cascade/Lucent, Nortel, Sun, Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Premisys and AT&T. Corporate headquarters are at 2730 Orchard Parkway, San Jose, Calif., 95134. For more information, please visit www.VivaceNetworks.com.
About ASSET InterTech
ASSET InterTech, Inc. develops, markets, sells, and supports boundary-scan testability and in-system programming (ISP) products worldwide. ASSET's PC-based ScanWorks(tm) environment allows users to quickly and easily test semiconductors, circuit boards or entire systems during every phase of a product's life, including design, manufacturing/repair and field maintenance. The ISP capabilities of ScanWorks can be used to load software or data into programmable devices after they have already been connected to a printed circuit board. The ScanWorks product family works in conjunction with a standard of the International Electronics and Electrical Engineering (IEEE) society known as the IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG) boundary-scan test specification. ASSET's Ensure DFT Services provides high-level design-for-test engineering and development services to the electronics industry. ASSET InterTech is located outside of Dallas at 2201 North Central Expressway, Suite 105, Richardson, TX 75080.