Board and component ATE-the challenge of the 1990s for suppliers and users

Current trends in automatic test equipment (ATE) for circuit boards and electronic components are briefly surveyed. Topics addressed include the large and growing cost of staying technologically current, the lack of planning for medium-term requirements and the lack of close relationships between users and suppliers, and the cyclical nature of the ATE industry. The need for user-supplier cooperation is stressed, especially in maximizing capacity and increasing throughput for equipment, planning testing requirements, and defining testing strategy