New technical partnership announced between Datest and ASTER Technologies

Datest, a leading provider of advanced, efficient and mission-critical in-circuit testing, test engineering and X-ray inspection solutions, is pleased to announce a new technical partnership with ASTER Technologies, based in Cesson-Sevigne, France. ASTER Technologies is the leading supplier of board-level testability and test coverage analysis tools.  Under the agreement, Datest will help ASTER to expand its market penetration in the Western U.S. Datest will provide technical support to improve the software and perform services, providing analysis on a project-by-project basis. Additionally, Datest will demo the software for those customers interested in acquiring the software suite. TestWay™ is the industry leading software solution providing a unique approach to analyze Design-for-Test (DfT) requirements and test coverage at board and system level. Use of the digital twin enables users to define the manufacturing line, including a combination of inspection and test equipment, allowing test coverage estimation to be carried out for each individual test stage and the consolidated coverage for the complete production line. By simulating various test strategies, customers can leverage the benefits of each machine to reduce coverage gaps, while eliminating redundancies (lean program generation) between platforms. The simulation results are then used to automate the assembly, test and inspection program generation for assembly machines, Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), Automated X-ray Inspection (AXI), in-circuit test (ICT), flying-probe test (FPT) and Boundary-Scan test (BST).  “We are pleased to be partnering with ASTER, to assist them in building technical awareness and market share in the Western US,” said Robert Boguski, President of Datest.  “We have long admired ASTER and the TestWay™ suite from afar, and we’re thrilled to now be working in the trenches with engineers to help evangelize and raise hands-on product awareness on ASTER’s behalf.  Right now, outside of Tier 1 EMS companies, TestWay™ remains a well-kept secret among board design and process engineers.  We aim to help change that perception.” TestWay™ also allows measurement of the real test coverage for each test and inspection machine of the test line. As a result, it is possible to make a comparison between the estimated and real test coverage to ensure the optimal test strategy is implemented on the shop floor.  Will Webb, Technical Director of ASTER Technologies in the USA says, “We at ASTER are excited about the new partnership with Datest.  Having a physical presence on the West Coast, Datest will be very beneficial to ASTER and helpful for demonstrations of the software.  Datest will continue to be a great asset to us because of their access to actual test machines on their floor, which will help develop and refine the ASTER output processing/CAD2CAM capabilities.” ASTER Technologies’ portfolio of high-level software solutions for optimizing Printed Circuit Board Assembly and Test have been developed by working closely with customers to fully understand their problems and provide innovative solutions that improve product yield from design through to production. Founded in 1993, the company has developed a unique expertise in Electrical Testability and Test Coverage Analysis, to help electronics manufacturers deliver defect-free products. For more information, visit https://aster-technologies.com/en/.  With more than 36 years of expertise, Datest offers in-circuit testing (ICT), flying probe testing, X-ray inspection, boundary scan/JTAG testing, functional testing, failure analysis and other related services. Datest is an ISO9001:2015, ITAR and AS9100D-certified company, and a member of SMTA, IPC, IEEE, EIPC and ASNT.  For more information about Datest or to view the company’s complete service lineup, visit www.datest.com, or call (510) 490-4600. About Datest Datest was founded in 1984 to address the growing trend of outsourcing assembly test services, together with increasing OEM demands that EMS providers deliver fully tested, functioning product. The company integrates traditional electrical board test methodologies (ICT, Flying Probe, and JTAG/Boundary Scan) with failure analysis (nondestructive as well as destructive), reverse engineering and “bonepile” rehabilitation, functional test development, and analytical laboratory services. Datest also offers comprehensive X-ray services (2D, 3D, and CT) for root cause analysis, high-level inspection and metrology, and dispute resolution. The Datest suite of services includes a 225kV microfocus CT system from VJ Technologies, offering CT scanning and failure analysis services for all manner of larger objects besides printed circuit board assemblies. Datest is ITAR registered and has a quality management system (QMS) that is certified to ISO9001:2015 and AS9100D.  Datest is a member of SMTA, IPC, IEEE, EIPC and ASNT (American Society for Nondestructive Testing). For more information, visit www.datest.com.