March 3, 2014. XJTAG has unleashed version 3.2 of its boundary-scan development system. This major new release extends the concept of boundary-scan testing to allow engineers to test boards where they do not have access to a netlist.
The flagship feature of XJTAG’s version 3.2 release, the “no netlist” feature allows users to create projects within XJDeveloper for boards without netlists, using just BDSL files for the JTAG devices. Connections between these devices are derived from a working board and automatically added to the project.
The feature is particularly useful to repair engineers, who are often required to work on boards without having access to a netlist. Where previously they would not be able to use boundary scan, or be delayed by having to seek out these netlists from their customers before beginning any work, testing can now begin without delay.
The “no netlist” feature also allows engineers to add non-JTAG devices to these projects, simply by specifying how they are connected to the JTAG devices on the board. They can then be tested using XJEase library files. This approach improves test coverage and saves the time and effort otherwise required to physically test these devices using probes.
With the 3.2 release, XJDeveloper now also contains a graphical debugger, for use when developing XJEase code. Standard debugger features such as breakpoints and a watch window for monitoring and changing XJEase variables will help improve efficiency when developing new tests.
Of XJTAG 3.2, Simon Payne, CEO of XJTAG, said, “The new release builds on XJTAG’s focus on ease-of-use and high productivity, giving the engineer even more control of the test development process while reducing lead times and boosting test coverage.”