Considering Your Testpoint Strategyīefore jumping into the assignation of pads and vias for use as testpoint locations, it is a good idea to step back and think about what is required. Testpoints can be assigned manually, or in a more streamlined and automated fashion, by using the Testpoint Manager dialog. As the board is populated, you may no longer have probe access to component pads and certainly no access to pads and vias under a component!Īltium Designer provides a powerful system to handle your testpoint needs and enhance the testability of your boards, allowing you to separately assign testpoints for bare-board fabrication testing and/or in-circuit assembly testing as required. The locations used for testpoints when performing in-circuit assembly testing however, will almost always be different. For example, when performing bare-board fabrication testing, the board is not populated and so all pads and vias are 'fair game' when it comes to assigning testpoints. The location of testpoints on a board will depend on factors including the mode of testing (including bare-board fabrication testing, in-circuit assembly testing, etc.) and the method of testing (including automated testing using flying probe and bed-of-nails fixtures, hand testing, etc.). To aid in this process, it is fundamentally beneficial to have a scheme of points on the board - Testpoints - which the testing equipment can probe and perform the required tests. Once fully populated with all its components, a board is often tested again to ensure signal integrity and device operation.
After fabrication, the board is typically tested to ensure no short or open circuits. Testing is an important part of the board manufacturing process.