Boundary-scan improves test effectiveness of military/aerospace electronics throughout the product life cycle

Boundary-scan based on IEEE Standard 1149.1 and related specifications has become very widely used in the electronics manufacturing industry to solve difficult test problems on complex PCBs posed by lack of access needed for conventional test methods. As a result of the boundary-scan´s broad acceptance, the quality of BSDL files from the IC vendor community and the level of sophistication of software and hardware from the test tools providers have risen dramatically. Not so widely known, however, are the derivative uses and working environments for boundary-scan, which if considered comprehensively, can lead to benefits across the military/aerospace product life cycle, not just in manufacturing test. Among these beneficial application methods is the use of PXI architecture to streamline and unify boundary-scan-based factory and repair depot processes