Development of test automation framework for printed circuit board assembly

Abstract

A Test Automation Framework is a bunch of rules or coding guidelines for test-process handling that is followed during coding. These are simple strategies that produce helpful results such as improved code re-usability, higher portability, diminished script support cost, reduced interdependency, higher interchangeability, and so on. This paper presents the development of a test automation framework for Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) to test the functionality and fault identification of the electronic circuit in the PCBA. It provides an integrated array of test and measurement Instruments which is automated using SCPI (Standard Command for programming Instrument) based commands to control test and measurement processes, making it simpler to configure and query. These test instruments imitate the environment in which the PCBA is to be deployed, which helps to observe its characteristics to determine whether it meets the expectation for which it was designed. Any possible variations in its characteristics due to fault are observed during testing and those faults are identified automatically using the data-driven fault analysis method.