Low cost repair station software for PCB failure analysis
Existing repair station software tools for post electrical test troubleshooting are either insufficient or very expensive. Proventus' RStation is a highly sophisticated repair station tool that provides rich functionality while maintaining low cost and high value for money.
IC Troubleshooting
Following ICT and boundary scan tests, failed boards are examined by technicians in order to identify and correct the exact source of the failure. The increasing complexity of PCBs and the introduction of smaller and more complex component families such as BGAs, make it very difficult for technicians to efficiently perform this task without the use of dedicated tools that help them navigate and investigate the IC's structure.
There are many viewers that claim to provide the required functionality. Some of them are even free downloads. However, none of these tools really provides the real functions and format support required for day by day work.
On the other hand, the tools that do provide the wide set of functions and performance are very costly; priced at $2000-$5000 per seat. As a result, many companies end up using either inadequate tools or too few seats to satisfy the demand from technicians.
Since these tools have a significant impact on the productivity of repair and troubleshooting, companies have the choice between a large investment and compromising on productivity.
Proventus RStation
Built using latest programming tools (Microsoft .Net C#) and graphical techniques (OpenGL), RStation provides a rich set of functions for IC trouble shooting:
· Display of all IC data including components, nets, vias, test points etc.
· Zooming panning etc at very high speed
· Search for components, nets etc by name and pin
· Calculate and highlight net trace through all layers, including all components connected to specified net.
· Highlight 2 (and more) net traces to assist in shorts investigation.
· Defect/Repair data entry directly from RSation (point and click) into shop floor management databases.
· Display of electronic scheme
· Display of catalog numbers according to BOM file.
CAD Format Support
Proventus RStation supports most leading CAD formats including Mentor, Veribest, Cadence, PCAD, Fabmaster as a built in feature with no extra cost.
This is of particular importance for companies performing several types of tests (ICT, Flying probe, boundary scan). Using RStation such companies can use standard CAD files for IC troubleshooting, without having to invest in additional costly viewers or converters for each tester.
Figure 1 shows a standard view of the PCB with components and top layer nets.
Figure 1
Figure 2 shows the trace of a selected net. Note that the components connected to the net are highlighted in blue/red, and that the net trace itself is colored in different colors (yellow/brown etc) for different layers.
Figure 2
Figure 3 shows the list of components connected to the specified net. Note the "Jump To" and "Zoom In" commands available on right click.
Figure 3
Figure 4 shows a BGA in zoom of 800/1. Note the component information pop-up available on clicking the object.
Figure 4
Proventus RStation demonstrates high performance and the rich functionality together with wide CAD format support required for productive IC troubleshooting.
At half the price of existing repair station viewers, RStation is the ultimate tool for post electrical test repair and troubleshooting.
Rstation Datasheet | 
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