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Oscilloscopes versus Embedded Instruments

Alan Sguigna

October 7, 2012
8:33 pm

What’s cheaper, faster, and more powerful than an oscilloscope, when it comes to validating high-speed signal integrity? Why, a software application using embedded instruments, of course. How is this possible?

Testing Intel Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge

Alan Sguigna

September 30, 2012
2:24 pm

In my last few blogs, I’ve talked about the challenges of testing QPI, PCI Express, SATA 3, and DDR3 memory. These buses are common to many Intel Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge motherboard designs. Should test engineers take chances and just not test them?

Problems with Powered Opens on ICT

Alan Sguigna

September 16, 2012
1:45 pm

If you’re using Powered Opens on In-Circuit Test, you may not be getting the test coverage you expect.

Testing SATA 3

Alan Sguigna

September 9, 2012
2:27 pm

Serial ATA 3 (SATA 3, or SATA III) is a differential bus running at 6Gbps. It’s commonly used on computer motherboards, such as notebooks, to connect to mass storage devices. How do you know if your hard disk or flash drive is running at full speed?

Is there a market for on-chip instrumentation?

Alan Sguigna

September 3, 2012
1:42 pm

Brian Bailey, editor of EETimes’ EDA Designline, recently penned a blog questioning the ubiquity and value of embedded instrumentation within chips. It’s a fascinating and timely read, and I’d like to put my two cents worth in…

Be an expert where it matters most to your customer

Larry Osborn

August 30, 2012
9:26 am

When you come right down to it, we spend too many days/nights, weeks and weekends writing code for device configuration, production test and system test. The question I’d like to raise is: What is the value of these home grown tests? Do they provide intrinsic and tangible value to your end customer?

Testing Intel QuickPath Interconnect

Alan Sguigna

August 26, 2012
3:11 pm

Last week I published a blog on detecting defects on PCI Express. Does Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) differ in any way?

Testing PCI Express

Alan Sguigna

August 16, 2012
8:16 pm

PCI Express (PCIe) buses, in particularly Gen3, are susceptible to defects which may be masked from conventional test. What are these defects and how are they detected?

Motherboard failures

Larry Osborn

August 13, 2012
1:52 pm

Ever have a PC die after a couple weeks or just after the warranty expires? Or perhaps the PC never powered up! Or maybe you have features like USB, a display or camera on the PC that don’t work. So you attempt to return it to the store where you purchased it only to find that it has to go back to the manufacturer. Ever wonder where those motherboards or laptop returns go? Or do you wonder how or why the faulty product ever shipped in the first place? I’ll first address the question of repair and then quality.

Testing DDR3 and DDR4 memory – Part 2

Alan Sguigna

August 3, 2012
4:52 pm

In my last Blog, I wrote about the iNEMI report on how testing memories is one of the top three problems engineers face today. Why is memory test so important?

Oscilloscopes versus Embedded Instruments

Testing Intel Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge

Problems with Powered Opens on ICT

Testing SATA 3

Is there a market for on-chip instrumentation?

Be an expert where it matters most to your customer

Testing Intel QuickPath Interconnect

Testing PCI Express

Motherboard failures

Testing DDR3 and DDR4 memory – Part 2

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