Concurrent test points way to PCB quality

Hans Baka Managing Director Digitaltest Germany* Stutensee, Germany Hans Baka started to work for Digitaltest in Stutensee in 1994 as marketing and sales manager and became managing director in 1997. Before joining Digitaltest, he held sales-management positions at other ATE companies in Germany. Educated as an engineer in electronics, Baka's background is in electronics as well as in CAD design and quality management. For more Q&A with Baka's comments on boundary scan, geographical differences in manufacturing-test requirements, and the future of the PCB, read the continuation of this interview *This biography differs from that in the print edition because of a subsequent clarification provided by Digitaltest.

T&MW: What makes Digitaltest unique among printed-circuit-board test equipment makers?

Baka: Digitaltest offers a complete family of test systems from small and inexpensive 19-in. testers up to high-speed in-circuit testers and flying probers. All the systems run under the same software environment, and all hardware modules are compatible across all systems, thereby enabling customers to choose the best solutions for their test requirements while substantially reducing the cost of spare parts.

T&MW: We were saddened to note the passing of founder Dr. Grant Boctor during this anniversary year for the company. Could you describe his importance to Digitaltest and to the automated test industry?

Baka: Dr. Boctor was a great visionary. His inventions made him well-known in the industry, and even our competitors have respected him. The electronic industry has lost an important contributor, and we all will miss him as a colleague and a friend.

T&MW: How will the company evolve with Dr. Boctor's passing?

Baka: His family feels responsible for his dream and is running the company in his name. His enthusiastic spirit continues in his wife, daughter, and son. The employees' experience averages 10 to 20 years, and the knowledge they have acquired will stay within Digitaltest and will be continuously developed. With this experience and dedication, despite the great loss, we see a bright future ahead.

T&MW: "Concurrent Test" is a strategy that Dr. Boctor has championed. Will Digitaltest continue to focus on concurrent-test techniques?

Baka: Yes, at Productronica 2005, we demonstrated the new concurrent-test concept, which was completed this year and is based on his ideas. We are sure concurrent test will have a major impact on electronic production, as our nonmultiplexed tester with integrated functional test resources unblocks end-of-line production bottlenecks. With the nonmultiplexed pin architecture, Digitaltest offers emulation software and hardware that provide compatibility with fixtures and test programs from our competitors. A customer can continue to use existing fixtures when changing to our systems—no additional costs are involved.

T&MW: Are there any particular strategies other than concurrent test that the industry as a whole needs to adopt?

Baka: The time of the old dinosaurs is definitively over. Our industry does not need the very complex system that can manage everything. The price for those machines is too high. Digitaltest has developed a range of testers that can be fitted to customer needs.

T&MW: Is lead-free solder posing any special problems for board test, and if so, how is Digitaltest addressing them?

Baka: It doesn't seem so. To initially prove new lead-free processes, the industry will do more test, but after a period of adjusting those processes, we will see a swing back to regular test. The transition period, though, will present a good opportunity for our flying prober, which can economically expand test capacity without requiring additional expensive fixtures.