Testing is a critical aspect of designing and building electronic circuit boards. In fact, it is one of the pillars of the iterative design⇒build⇒test (DBT) cycle, during which PCBA prototypes are refined and operation and performance are verified. This type of functional testing is common. However, it is sometimes necessary to perform in-circuit testing (ICT), which is the checking of physical properties of the board, during manufacturing. Although PCB ICT has many advantages, it can also be costly and necessitate the incorporation of specific design-for-test (DFT) guidelines to ensure your board design adheres to best practices and standards for accurate inspection.
This eBook answers the following questions:
- What are the advantages and types of in-circuit tests that can be performed?
- How to decide if you need to employ design for testing (DFT) for in-circuit testing (ICT)?
- Why is it important to define a test point strategy during design?
- What are the best practices for test point placement and routing?
- How to incorporate Joint Action Test Group (JTAG) protocol for high-density board testing?
