Saturn Solutions Ltd

Prototypes

Two or three prototype circuit boards will now be produced by an engineer. During this time the circuitry is usually tested in stages following a complete test procedure as the PCB is assembled.

Test procedures for a prototype board

The perfect partner to a good specification is a good test procedure. There are three types of test procedure to discuss at this point.

i. Debug Test procedure (developed by the designer) - This procedure will focus on probable trouble spots in a design. This will isolate any faults so that they can be rectified individually. The debug test will also include a complete functionality test with reference to the customer specification.

ii. Incoming Test Procedure (developed by the customer) - This will again test functionality with reference to the customer specification. The aim of this test is to prove that the design meets the specification exactly.

iii. Manufacturing Test procedure (developed by the designer / customer / manufacturer) - This procedure is heavily dependent on the manufacturer's production techniques and test equipment. It is driven by economic motives and is aimed at reducing manufacturing costs by reducing failure and returns rates.

Pilot run

As an additional test a pilot run is sometimes required where a small number of units (say 20) are tested in the field. This is called a beta test and it is also a chance to consider how the design will lend itself to full scale manufacture and to check whether associated documentation is useable.