JTAG/Boundary Scan Tool for Debug & Repair

17 October 2011 - The makers of JTAG Live Buzz and BuzzPlus announce AutoBuzz, an addition to their no-netlist-required range of JTAG/boundary-scan test and debug tools. AutoBuzz is a tool that uses a unique ‘seek and discover’ feature to scan completely a compliant design and then perform comparative tests using JTAG/boundary-scan.

With only JTAG scan-chain information plus BSDL models of the JTAG/IEEE std 1149.1 compliant parts (available from manufacturers’ web-sites), users of AutoBuzz will be able to connect to their designs via a number of compatible JTAG interface options. AutoBuzz can then be set to gather a complete ‘connectivity map’ of any board’s boundary-scan to boundary-scan pin connections (where these can be direct or via ‘transparent’ devices such as series resistors).

AutoBuzz supports just two simple operating modes: Learn and Compare. With AutoBuzz in Learn mode a ‘known good’ sample PCB is initially scanned to establish a reference connectivity map. Suspected faulty boards can then be scanned by AutoBuzz in Compare mode, and a comparison is automatically made of their connectivity maps. Differences between the two maps are highlighted to indicate possible faults such as interconnect short-circuits, open-circuits or ‘stuck-at’ faults.

For added reliability and reproducibility a constraints section allows critical pins to be set at fixed drive values as ‘guards’. Since the user requires no boundary-scan technical knowledge and with only a basic scan chain input needed, AutoBuzz is expected to find favour in repair and service centres as well as other debug arenas.

Supported interfaces currently include Altera’s USB Blaster, Xilinx’s parallel III/IV and USB interfaces, JTAG Technologies’ JT 3705 / USB controller, JTAG Live dedicated USB controller and some FTDI based modules.

AutoBuzz joins the JTAG Live range which not only includes the aforementioned Buzz and BuzzPlus, but also the programmable cluster test modules Clip and Script. The latter is a powerful Python-based API that enables users to create sophisticated boundary-scan based device or device cluster tests in an easy-to-learn, open-source programming environment. Recent extensions to the JTAG Live Script module also allow users to access embedded test and debug features of many devices through the use of ‘private’ JTAG instructions. This capability facilitates test and debugging beyond the boundary-scan test registers.

AutoBuzz is available immediately to buy online from www.jtaglive.com and is priced at 1495 Euros.