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In the world of test, smaller is better, provided the system can test my particular devices under test (DUTs). There are many reasons to look at smaller footprints in test—manufacturing floor space, shorter cable lengths, and portability come to mind.
In the world of signal switching and test, the word is not necessarily smaller, but denser. Switching density is always a subject for debate as to how much switching is necessary, particularly in modular test systems because of the fixed physical size of modular devices. In this short article, we will take a brief look at some of the advantages of high-density switching and some sample applications that benefit from it. For brevity’s sake, this article will focus on crosspoint matrices. The purpose of a crosspoint matrix is to allow any number of multiple signal inputs to be connected to any number of signal outputs—basically any test resource to any test point on one or more DUTs. A 1-wire crosspoint matrix uses an array of SPST relays to close an X to Y path.