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One of the most desirable trends in electronics system design is to push as much functionality as possible into a single device. To achieve that, it is favourable to use an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) over an off-the-shelf IC. To ensure ASICs retain their edge over their standardised counterparts, each device must undergo a stringent production test regime to confirm its functionality and adherence to specification. Here, Andrew McDerment, Operations Manager at ASIC design and supply specialist, Swindon Silicon Systems, explains the process of ASIC production test.

First, let’s begin by defining an ASIC design flow. A design flow is a proven design process that follows various stages of IC development. At Swindon, for example, it consists of consultancy, design, layout, verification and test engineers working together in a structured process to deliver the optimum ASIC performance for customers, on budget and on time.

The process starts from the customer concept and progresses to the ASIC specification, then onto an early design and simulation, through to layout, prototype verification and production test engineering. It’s here at production test engineering where we see the results of the customer’s ASIC transform from a checklist of design requirements to a production-released and fully specification-adherent custom IC.

Putting ASICs to the test

Production test forms a critical part of the supply chain. It’s essential all ASICs are thoroughly tested to ensure that they meet customers’ complex system requirements and are specification conformant. Opting for a custom IC brings many benefits, not least because it ensures bespoke and optimised performance to the customer, but it also delivers a production test procedure specific to their requirements. This test procedure may differ with regards to having wafer probe and automatic test equipment (ATE), or both, and may have different temperature insertions and with calibration over an extended measurement range.

In current times, as the shortage of commercial off-the-shelf chips continues, custom ASICs can also help deliver security of supply. The major differentiator, however, comes when an ASIC developer can offer all production test and software and hardware development in house. This is typically known as a full turnkey (FTK) offering.

Being able to develop a product unique to a customer’s needs is one thing, but having that nimbleness to make adaptations and improvements to the chip while it’s in development, without needing to call upon external expertise, gives FTK ASIC developers the greatest edge over their non-FTK competition. And that agility and control over the final product translates into benefits for the end customer too.

Because, by design, an ASIC is produced uniquely for the customer and their requirements, it must undergo a stringent test regime to ensure its performance matches agreed parameters. Opting for a FTK service means ASIC development and production test can be completed under one roof. In Swindon’s case, it’s highly likely that the engineers designing an ASIC are situated just a few short metres away from the test facility, meaning real time support or additional oversight can be carried out with ease.

Design for test

The production test of today’s highly integrated ASICs is complex. A major advantage that an FTK ASIC company can deliver is by planning the test regime and coverage of the device during the design phase. This is commonly known as design for test (DFT) where developing circuit design and test strategies occur concurrently. DFT is challenging for the engineers but the benefits far outweigh the frustrations.

The additional circuitry that may be required when incorporating DFT techniques, can marginally increase the amount of silicon required to implement the design. The savings however from enhanced testability will materialise in shortening test time, increasing yields and reducing early life field failures. And all these benefits result in a reduction in overall cost.

ATE and wafer probe

There are several elements that are paramount to a thorough ASIC test schedule. The first makes use of ATE, which refers to any apparatus that performs parametric tests on a device, known as the device under test (DUT), equipment under test (EUT) or unit under test (UUT).

ATE systems are designed to minimise the amount of test time needed to verify that a particular device works, or to quickly find its faults, prior to the part being used in an end customer product. Expertise in the test of ASICs at this phase, where the identification of parts that do not meet specification, is crucial to the end customer. Delivering parts that are likely to fail in the field or at manufacture, will add cost to the customer. The alleviation of this potential is fundamental to the Swindon test department and to the design team.

Another core element of ASIC test is wafer probe. During this step, performed before a wafer is sent to die preparation, all individual integrated circuits that are present on the wafer are tested for functional defects by applying special test patterns to them.

Test can either be conducted manually or using ATE and is completed prior to the IC being sent to the die packaging phase. At Swindon, wafer probe test is carried out at multiple temperatures — i.e. a hot, cold and ambient — to allow better test coverage and higher accuracy. This is particularly crucial when developing ASICs for tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), where testing at multiple temperatures ensures a tight customer specification, that must adhere to stringent safety regulations, being met.

Quality guaranteed

During prototype verification tests, if the ASIC is not performing as expected, changes may need to occur. While making changes to the chip, known as respinning, may seem like a daunting, unwanted process, it is an occurrence that will avoid future test failures. Issues can arise when, for example, working with new nodes, and there is a learning curve for design teams to come to terms with the new node’s limitations and particular traits. That said, there are measures in place to ensure any changes are made smoothly and quickly.

Production test can also identify anomalies. Yield alerts on test systems can detect whether a yield drops below a certain level, alerting the operators to take action. Swindon’s real time yield analysis (RTYA) runs on all production cells, helping to identify any areas that require attention before they can turn into problematic issues. This can range from a wafer batch discrepancy or to a contact continuity fault within the ATE. Yield analysis is a constant factor for Swindon’s test engineering team and yield improvement initiatives are conducted at all times to maintain the quality of the product and provide sub one parts per million (PPM) field failure rates.

As one of many continual improvements to the test process, Swindon has reduced the test time of DUT while increasing test coverage. This in turn minimises the final device cost but maximises performance through quality. The result is a dramatic increase in product repeatability, yield and overall test quality with a vast decrease in field failure PPM rates.

Several elements go into production test to ensure a high yield and on time delivery of the final product. By opting for an ASIC supplier with an in-house production test facility, will ensure delivery of the highest quality of ASIC and an elevated level of service.

To learn more about Swindon’s capabilities in ASIC production test, visit the website.

ION Science is delighted to announce that its world-leading MiniPID 2 sensor has been nominated in the sensor category of the 2023 Instrumentation Excellence Awards, and voting is now open to anyone at https://instrumentationawards.co.uk/vote-2023/.

“We are thrilled to be nominated,” explains ION Science Group Managing Director, Duncan Johns. “Not only does this demonstrate our leading global position as a sensor manufacturer, but it also highlights our focus on research and development, as we seek to continuously improve sensor performance. I therefore hope that as many people as possible will vote for the MiniPID 2 in recognition of the outstanding work conducted by our sensor development team.”

PID (photo ionisation detection) sensors can detect hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as fuels, petrochemicals, solvents, paints, adhesives, cleaners etc. VOCs can be harmful to both health and the environment, so PID sensors perform a vital role in the protection of lives, facilities and the environment.

ION Science is the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of PID sensors, and the award nomination for the MiniPID 2 reflects the unique levels of performance that the sensor delivers. These include: a patented design to nullify potential humidity interference; a fast response; the highest levels of sensitivity; market-leading reliability, and the widest choice of PID lamps to optimise sensors for different applications.

Voting closes on 11^th August… but ION Science always targets the fastest response time.

Inelco Hunter has announced the availability of the Powertip MPU range of capacitive touch display modules which utilise an NXP or Rockchip Quad core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53/A35 running at 1.6GHz MPU. These processors provide what might be called blindingly fast response times and the ultimate in smooth 2D/3D graphics plus Full HD multi-media playback/streaming capability. Screen sizes range from 5” to 10.1”.

Engineers will often want to work with Linux-based software to develop their own graphic interfaces. The MPU range supports popular Linux-based OS like Debian, Ubuntu, Buildroot and Yocto and comes with connectivity such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, Mini-PCIe, USB, RS232, UART, SPI, MIPI-CSI/DSI, I2C, Analog audio in/out and MicroSD card slot built in. Inelco Hunter offers local UK Engineering support and customised solutions, including casing options and custom OS software for example.

Inelco Hunter’s in-depth engineering support ensures rapid implementation, speeding up the customer’s time-to-market. Inelco’s engineers will work with the SME engineers to develop custom software at the customer’s request. This added-value support is at the core of Inelco’s philosophy, and has been for the last 30 years, setting them apart from the “stock & ship” distributors.

Customers are increasingly looking for complete solutions with a high degree of service, to provide them with truly converged, totally embedded solutions. This has inspired Inelco Hunter to develop their “Totally Embedded” range of services and embedded hardware/software solutions which include: Camera Modules, SoM Modules, Smart Display Modules, Embedded Systems, Thermal Printers, Connectors and Cable Harnesses. 

For more technical information, visit the Inelco Hunter website: www.inelcohunter.co.uk

Cytiva, a global provider of leading life sciences brands, has launched its new Xcellerex™ X-platform bioreactors, which feature SLA5800 Series Biotech mass flow controllers from Brooks Instrument, a world leader in advanced flow, pressure and vapour delivery solutions.

Used to create monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments and for manufacturing cell and gene therapies and viral vectors, the X-platform bioreactors can be ordered in 50 L or 200 L sizes, with larger sizes to follow.

Mass flow controllers (MFCs) are essential components in bioreactors, managing the precise flow of pure gasses like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, air and oxygen into bioreactor chambers. The SLA Series Biotech MFC from Brooks Instrument is engineered specifically to maximise process yield.

It offers a high turndown ratio to control a wider range of gas flows, allowing simplified gas box design for reduced cost and enhanced reliability. In addition, the SLA Series Biotech MFCs incorporate materials certified as safe for use in FDA-regulated processes.

For its X-platform product, Cytiva specified Brooks Instrument MFCs with the high-speed advanced EtherNet/IP™ digital communications protocol that enables real-time MFC diagnostics and provides a pathway for predictive modelling and analytics.

End users are challenged to tighten control over raw material use, automate manual or high-risk process steps and augment operator capabilities while minimising process variability and labour costs. Brooks Instrument developed its Biotech offering to answer the industry’s increasing demand for gas flow control technology that meets the unique needs of bioreactors and bioprocessing operations.

For more information about SLA Series Biotech mass flow controllers, visit www.brooksinstrument.com/en/resources/sla-biotech.

Precision sensor manufacturer Micro-Epsilon has extended its confocal sensor system portfolio with the new, innovative high performance series, confocalDT IFD2410 and the confocalDT IFD2415. Each system combines both sensor and controller together to save space and simplify installation in production lines and machines, as no fibre optic cabling is needed between the sensor and controller.

The confocalDT IFD241x series is the only one in the world that combines high precision and a compact design with integrated Industrial Ethernet. Comparable models from other manufacturers only offer Industrial Ethernet via a separate external module. 

One of the key advantages of confocal technology is its ability to measure on any surface including highly polished and even transparent materials. Despite its compact size, the confocalDT IFD241x is still capable of displacement and distance measurements, and is also suitable for thickness measurement of transparent materials. 

The new confocal sensor system is available in two versions, each with three measuring ranges. The entry-level version, the IFD2410, offers an attractive price-performance ratio and single layer transparent thickness measurements. The high performance version, the IFD2415, is best-in-class for high precision distance, thickness and transparent multi-layer measurements.  

Industrial series production 

The IFD2410 is ideal for high precision distance and thickness measurements in industrial series applications such as production lines and plants. An adjustable measuring rate of up to 8kHz and sub-micrometer resolution down to 12nm make the IFD2410 suitable for a wide range of measurement tasks. The Active Exposure Time Regulation of the CCD array enables high speed, stable measurements on various surfaces. The sensor is available in measuring ranges of 1mm, 3mm and 6mm. Typical applications include inline inspection and coordinate measuring machines; inline thickness measurement of flat glass and container glass; and inspection of electronic components. 

For higher precision 

For those applications where higher distance and thickness measurement precision is required, the IFD2415 is ideal. Based on the sensors from the IFS2405 range, the sensors have precision lenses and wide Numerical Apertures that allow high degrees of tilt from reflective surfaces and can be used with transparent materials for multi-layer thickness measurements of up to five layers. The Active Exposure Time Regulation of the CCD array enables high speed, stable measurements on difficult, changing surfaces, even in dynamic processes up to 25kHz. The measuring system is also characterised by high luminous intensity. Therefore, the IFD2415 can measure quickly and reliably, even on darker surfaces. The sensor is available in measuring ranges of 1mm, 3mm and 10mm. Typical applications include inline inspection and coordinate measuring machines, robotics and 3D printers. 

Ease of integration 

The combined sensor and electronics in one compact housing offers greater flexibility for system integrators and machine builders, as there is no longer any need to route or connect fibre optic cables. The confocalDT IFD241x series has an integrated Industrial Ethernet (EtherCAT) interface, which simplifies integration with PLCs. Ethernet/IP and ProfiNET will also be available shortly. This enables real time measurement data without time delays and reduced installation effort. The connection is established automatically. After the power supply is switched on, the sensor boots in EtherCAT mode by default. Using the multi-function button on the controller, the IFD241x can also boot in Ethernet mode and can then be controlled via the intuitive web interface. Parameter set up is simple: settings made are stored and applied directly to the EtherCAT mode on the next boot process. This eliminates time-consuming setting effort in the programming environment. 

In addition to Industrial Ethernet, RS422 and analogue outputs are also possible. For those who wish to synchronise measurement data with positional information, the controller can also accept up to two incremental encoder signals directly without the need for additional interface hardware. 

For more information on the confocalDT IFD241x series from Micro-Epsilon, please visit www.micro-epsilon.co.uk or call the Micro-Epsilon sales department on +44 (0)151 355 6070 or email mailto:info@micro-epsilon.co.uk  

Farnell, has signed a new distribution agreement with E-Switch enabling customers in EMEA and APAC to buy the complete product range from a single, convenient and trusted source.

E-Switch offers one of the widest switch portfolios in the market, including tactile, rocker, pushbutton, anti-vandal, capacitive, detector, dip, keylock, navigation, rotary, rotary DIP, slide, snap action, tilt, toggle and trigger switches.

This addition of E-Switch products to Farnell’s electromechanical component portfolio offers customers ready access to several thousand switch options for use in a wide spectrum of applications, such as industrial, consumer electronics, household and commercial appliances, medical and healthcare, telecom/servers and transportation related. For example, customers will be able to access dashboard switches for agricultural, off-road vehicles, marine and watercraft applications as well as commercial vehicle fleet tracking and monitoring.

Many of E-Switch’s switches can be customised to meet specific requirements, and the total number of product types available to designers typically expands at a rate of some nine to twelve new switches each year.

Curt Bakken, President of E-Switch, said, “E-Switch is excited to be partnering with Farnell and leveraging their European footprint of sales teams, technical support and regional distribution centres. E-Switch is focused on expanding our vast product portfolio and need Farnell’s sales and marketing expertise to fully engage with design engineers and purchasing teams to support our customers.”

E-Switch is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has been delivering quality electromechanical switches to the industrial, electronics, medical, audio/visual, appliance and instrumentation markets since 1979.

In addition to providing customers with a broad selection of electromechanical switches, E-Switch also provides written and video documentation to supply engineers with the most current model information, specification sheets and professional certifications.

The complete E-Switch product range is now available from stock at Farnell in EMEA and element14 in APAC.

Pickering Interfaces, the leading supplier of modular signal switching & simulation solutions for use in electronic test & verification, today announced a new range of PXI/PXIe microwave relay modules capable of switching the 110 GHz signals associated with demanding RF & communications applications, including emerging technologies such as automotive radar. Launching at IMS, this extension to Pickering’s family of terminated SPDT microwave switches is the first to be offered in 110 GHz, delivering the highest RF switching performance available within a Pickering switching system. As operating frequencies evolve to ever higher levels, more of Pickering’s RF & microwave switching solutions will support 110 GHz to address the latest RF testing requirements.

The 40-781A-92x (PXI) and 42-781A-92x (PXIe) modules consist of either a single or dual microwave changeover switch payload, capable of switching up to 110 GHz in 50 Ω. They are available with external terminations, and connections are via front panel mounted high quality SMA 1.0 connectors. Externally terminated switches offer the advantage that the user-accessible terminations can be removed and replaced with higher-power RF loads for increased signal levels. This switch topology flexibility also allows alternative configurations to alter the switching functionality, such as terminated 4-port bypass (1 termination removed) and 5-port DP3T (both terminations removed).

The 40/42-781A-92x range features latching relays, minimizing the heating effects when the switches are energized (compared to failsafe switches), as only a pulsed signal is required for operation (since latching relay contacts retain their last set state when the power is removed). LED indication is provided, allowing a clear visual confirmation of the switch status – a useful feature for verifying system operation.

Steve Edwards, Switching Product Manager at Pickering, commented: “These new 40/42-781A-92x modules are particularly applicable to emerging microwave technologies, such as automotive radar – in addition to radar and satellite or short-range land-based secure communication testing applications. Although designed for microwave applications, the modules also have many uses across the RF spectrum, where extremely low insertion loss and ultra-high isolation are critical. They can also be used at lower frequencies, where power handling to 35 W (without termination) is required.”

An onboard relay cycle counting feature enables proactive “health” monitoring of modules for test system predictive maintenance. The number of operations per contact is stored on the module and can be used to determine if a relay is approaching EOL. This information could allow system connections to be revised so that signals applied to heavily used contacts are swapped with lightly used contacts to prolong the working life of the relay(s).

The 40/42-781A-92x range is supplied with drivers that allow support in all popular software programming environments. In terms of operating systems, all Microsoft-supported Windows versions and popular varieties of Linux are supported, as well as other real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) tools.

Alphasense, the UK-based manufacturer of sensors for air quality monitoring and safety gas detection, has launched a compact new sensor format for portable devices.

The smaller, thinner, and lighter H-Series sensor is compatible with 1-Series sensors from other manufacturers and is available for 9 target gases. The introduction of the H-series from Alphasense gives OEMs greater flexibility in instrument design and increased choice in sensor selection.

Nine sensor variants cover both common and exotic gases, taking the suitability of H-Series beyond just compliance devices. The dual CO/H₂S sensor allows for the integration of a fifth sensor in a four-gas enclosure, while the H₂cross-sensitivity CO sensor gives OEMs the option of incorporating hydrogen immunity as standard in compliance devices.

With its four-gas configuration, the H-series presents a 43% space saving vs the A-series/4-series, equivalent to 13cm³ of volume within the housing. Using surface mount spring contacts instead of pins creates flexibility, reduces the need for sockets on PCBs, saves space, and eliminates a common point of failure in traditional sensors.

Whilst the H-Series is a new physical format for Alphasense, the sensors are based upon the field-proven Alphasense D-Series, giving customers peace of mind and insulating them from the teething problems often associated with new formats.

Will Parrett, Sales & Marketing Director EMEA at Alphasense said: “We are really excited to bring this format to market. We know customers like this compact form factor and with Alphasense now adopting it, customers can benefit from more choice, better service and higher-quality sensors. Those OEMs who are already using similar sensors have greater choice right away and those who are considering it have more options for sourcing. The size reduction H-series provides gives instrument manufacturers the opportunity to completely rethink their device designs and we look forward to seeing this platform develop over the coming years.”

For more information visit https://www.alphasense.com/h-series/.

Since 2014, the U.S. magazine Vision Systems Design grants the Vision Systems Design Innovators Awards annually. This year, Advantech’s ARK-1250L DIN-rail edge computer has received a bronze honouree award in the robotics category. The prize recognises companies for making significant contributions to the vision and imaging industry. A panel of esteemed experts from system integrators and end-user companies judged submissions on originality, innovation, its impact on designers, systems integrators or users, and whether it fulfilled a new market need, leveraged a novel technology, and/or increased productivity. The honorees were announced on May 22, 2023 at Automate show in Detroit, USA.

Powered by 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5/i3 processors, the ARK-1250L delivers responsive, high-performance computing power with AI/deep learning capabilities and low power consumption. The ARK-1250L supports versatile I/O connectivity and over 10 selected iDoor I/O expansion modules, providing high flexibility for a diverse range of robotics and industrial equipment control applications. Likewise, the ARK-1250L features four RS-232/422/485 ports for motor and radar sensors, an optional CANbus for robotic arms, three USB 3.2 ports for peripherals such as vision cameras, and three GbE ports for connectivity. Its internal expansion slots, including mPCIe, M.2 E key (for Wi-Fi), and B key (for 5G), help users enhance the functionality of their solutions. Built with Advantech’s DeviceOn/iEdge and ROS2 Suite, the ARK-1250L supports standard industrial protocols including Modbus, OPC-UA, and other PLC-based protocols and ROS utilities such as RVIZ, MoveIt, and Gazebo, providing the ideal foundation for factory automation and robotics applications.

“It is an honour to receive this award,” stated Aaron Su, Vice President of Embedded IoT Group at Advantech. “Advantech is committed to developing versatile edge computing solutions with advanced visual analytics capabilities to address machine vision and robotics market needs. This recognition from Vision Systems Design is a testament of our innovative designs and the value of our products.”

“The Vision Systems Design team would like to congratulate Advantech for their score in the 2023 Innovators Awards program,” said Linda Wilson, Editor in Chief at Vision Systems Design. “Each year, this unbiased and increasingly competitive program aims to celebrate the most innovative products and systems in machine vision. The Advantech team should be very proud.”

For customers requiring this product in a custom variant, Advantech’s European DMS team offers a wide range of local design and manufacturing services. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/AdvantechDMS.

A new study from the University of Bath has shown that graphene-based biosensors, designed by Integrated Graphene, have the potential to play a major role in detecting increased levels of lactate, an important biomarker for the treatment of critically ill patients.

The research, published in Sensor and Actuators: B.Chemical, shows that Integrated Graphene’s Gii-Sens electrochemical sensor can improve accuracy in the diagnosis of hyperlactatemia, a common complication in intensive care units.

Hyperlactatemia results from a lack of oxygen reaching tissues or as a result of an underlying condition, such as advanced liver disease. Untreated hyperlactatemia can lead to lactate acidosis, which causes severe illness and can be fatal. Reliable real-time lactate detection through single-point or continuous monitoring could help to improve the outcomes of patients in critical care and could hasten the diagnosis of sepsis in critically ill patients. 

Based in Stirling, Integrated Graphene’s flagship product, Gii-Sens is a biosensing electrode for diagnostics which outperforms traditional sensing materials by 10-100 times, allowing for cost effective, lab precision testing within minutes at the point of need. Other applications of the technology include quality control in the food production industry, and wearable lactate sensors which can be used to monitor an athlete’s performance in real time.

Dr Marco Caffio, Integrated Graphene’s Co-Founder and CSO, said: “Lactate is a naturally occurring biomarker which everyone produces as a byproduct of exercising. For most people it is easily processed by the body and will cause no major harm, apart from a little cramp if you overexert yourself.

“However, for some critically ill patients and those with underlying conditions it can be a sign of a range of other issues, some of which, like sepsis, can be fatal. Having a robust way of monitoring lactate levels is important in ensuring the best possible outcomes for these patients. The findings of this study demonstrate Gii’s reliable performance and potential to save lives.”

For further information on Integrated Graphene, please visit: https://www.integratedgraphene.com/