Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/13816-agilent-technologies-cover-extend-technology-for-in-circuit-test-wins-major-awards-at-ipc-apex-2009

Agilent Technologies' Cover-Extend Technology for In-Circuit Test Wins Major Awards at IPC APEX 2009

April 1, 2009
SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 1, 2009 -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced that its Cover-Extend Technology for In-Circuit Test (ICT) has achieved the following accolades at IPC Apex 2009 and EDN's 19th Annual Innovation Awards in San Jose, Calif.:

ο Test & Measurement World's 2009 Best in Test (Winner)
ο SMT Vision Award (Winner)
ο Circuits Assembly NPI Award (Finalist)
ο EDN Innovation Award (Finalist)

The awards recognize what each of these leading industry publications consider to be the most unique and innovative technologies, applications, products and services in the market.

Cover-Extend Technology is a hybrid technology between the popular VTEP and the industry-standardized boundary scan methodology, resulting in a powerful solution to help manufacturers increase test coverage for printed circuit board assemblies with limited or no access for traditional methods of in-circuit test.

With Cover-Extend, the onboard boundary scan devices drive a stimulus into the device-under-test (DUT) for the VTEP sensor plates, which pick up the capacitive signals, thereby detecting faults.

"Cover Extend Technology enables real cost reduction. Case studies have shown that by deploying this technology, customers can now shrink their test nodes by 25 percent or more, reducing their need for expensive large node count test systems, while cutting down fixturing costs," said NK Chari, marketing director of Agilent's Measurement Systems Division.

This technology, along with the combination of Boundary Scan 1149.1,1149.6, silicon nails, drive thru, bead probes and access consultant technologies makes the Agilent Medalist i3070 the most complete "limited access" In-Circuit Test system.

Visitors to IPC APEX Expo 2009 in San Jose, Calif., March 29-April 2, can still catch details about Cover-Extend Technology at the Agilent booth, No. 1245, where demos and experts are available to answer any questions about the technology.

For more information on Agilent's limited access solutions for in-circuit test, please visit www.agilent.com/see/vtep.