Systems Testing: The Future for All of Us

Systems testing and diagnostics of complex electronic products has been characterized traditionally by an ad hoc dependance to each product. Although this style has never been optimum, it is what most of us do. This contrasts sharply with structured design for test OFT) approaches at the IC level and lately at the board level. However, the marked increase in component, board, and system density with high density electronic technologies such as multichip modules, has rapidly focused attention on need for a structured "Design for Systems Test" (DFST) approach. When we peel this objective apart, we find many more intricacies involved than those at the IC or board level. The ability to perform test 62 diagnostics on a complex system is enormously affected by the design at the lower levels in the hierarchy. Field test integration into overall design is probably the ultimate over-the-wall engineering practice. Field engineers usually are at the mercy of design decisions made without their advice; system and board engineers suffer similar experiences. We see that the issues are very organizational involving people as well as technology. Concurrent engineering practice is not an option; it is an imperative [ 11.