Automatic test partnerships bear fruit at PXI show

18th March 2015

The Peak Group

Mick Elliott

0 0

The Peak Group is using the 2015 PXI exhibition (April 21-22) at the NEC, Birmingham to showcase a number of new products to its automatic test systems based on partnerships with National Instruments (NI), GOEPEL electronic and Virginia Panel Corporation (VPC). A major new product is a simplified fixture interface for boundary scan using a new VPC Pull-Thru receiver from GOEPEL electronic.

The new PXI 1149/VPC(x) ensures an outstanding signal quality in the interface between GOEPEL electronic's PXI/PXIe SCANFLEX(R) Boundary Scan controllers and test fixtures, and completely eliminates the complication of any kind of manual wiring in the configuration of the interface.

The new Pull-Thru adapters are designed to improve the integration quality and seamless combination of structural test technologies with functional test in volume manufacturing. As well as the actual JTAG signals, the new Pull-Thru adapter offers additional connections for GOEPEL electronic's dynamic I/O signals for enhanced handling of all Embedded System Access (ESA) technologies. As a result, it provides the ability to test and program highly complex boards, including on-chip flash programming, with significantly reduced test points, in some cases without the use of traditional test points or probes at all.

The new unit is fully compatible with the scalable Mass InterConnect system from VPC using Pull-Thru Receiver series G20, G20x, G40 and G14x. Using this option, users can now easily combine JTAG/Boundary Scan with the PXI Interface Test Adapter (ITA) solutions from VPC to create a high performance reliable fixture interface.

Peak is also featuring its partnership with Simplicity AI to provide integrated test solutions based on National Instruments industry-standard platforms along with Peak's test hardware and fixturing technology and Simplicity AI's advanced test & measurement software. Peak and Simplicity AI are both NI Alliance Partners.

Peak's modular rack system will be on parade in Birmingham. It is ergonomically designed for use in all test environments and includes an integrated VPC Mass InterConnect interface receiver adaptor, allowing large numbers of different contact types to be quickly and easily connected in a single operation.

The system is height, width and depth adaptable to customers' test requirements. It incorporates built-in service panels, high volume cooling, and large doors on the sides and rear, with a wide body allowing for ancillary equipment and circuitry on both sides of the main chassis. Also incorporated are full emergency stop and door interlock safety circuitry, plus a mains distribution, filtering and safety circuit box.