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Functional Test Analysis (FTA)

Automatic Testing Data Collection and Analysis

Simple management of information from the ATE/FT stations

Do you realize that functional test information is important for improving yield?
Are the measurements centered or closed to limits?
FTA automatically collects data from all test stations and stores it in one place. FTA provides simple, powerful and easy to use user interface for analyzing collected data including Gaussian Chart, Pie Chart, SPC, CP/CPK etc.

GO/NO GO or more

Electronics manufacturers run Functional Tests (in-house or outsourced). These tests are confined to GO/NO GO indications and no test results are collected. Actually, these test results are important for yield improvement. For example, if measurements are closed to limits then there is a high probability that the problem is in the component(s), tester/station or PCB. But these results can't be viewed without a suitable tool for collection and analysis.

In addition, different testers (stations) provided by different manufacturers.. That makes it challenging for manufacturers to collect information from multiple functional testers. The geographical distribution of production lines of the same manufacturer (running tests on the products at different production sites) or logical discrepancies (the same production site with different networks connected through a third party including The Internet). Thus, making it difficult to accumulate all the information in one place.

 

FTA

FTA is an automatic data collection and analysis system, designed specifically for the electronic production industry. FTA collects information from Testers for different levels such as product, serial, worker, dates, pass/fail, measurements (including limits and units) and more. 

FTA includes at least two parts:

  • A collection module as system background (including FTA Collect service and FTA Sync service)

  • An Analysis module as a system front-end (also called FTA Client)

FTA Collect service is an automatic collect service that works in the background of the OS with no user interaction. It collects and normalizes information from interfaces (also called Filters) of each functional tester (created by different people, with different framework and running on different operation systems) and saves that information into an SQL database.
FTA Collect also collects data transfer log that can be viewed by an FTA Client.
If you are using distributed system structure (different production sites, different networks etc.), than FTA Collect collects data from local FT stations and uploads it to an external location such as a WebDrive, FTP etc.

Functional Test (FT) Stations

FTA Collect
using Microsoft SQL Server
 

Figure 1. FTA Collect

FTA Sync is automatic synchronization service that works in the background with no user interaction. It transfers collected information (in SQL database) from each site/network into central SQL database, using interfaces (also called Filters) such as Web-Drive, FTP etc. This service is optional and is used to solve the distribution problems (both sites and networks).
FTA Sync also collects data transfer log (including FTA Collect log) that can be viewed by FTA Client.

External Places (WD, FTP etc)

FTA Sync
using Microsoft SQL Server
 

Figure 2. FTA Sync

FTA Client is a simple and powerful user interface for dynamic analysis of data resulting in flexible report generation. The client allows analysis/reporting of data at different levels: general summary (used for managers), product summary (including summary, Gaussian bell, SPC etc.) or serial number information (including all test history, Gaussian bell, SPC etc.).
FTA Client allows monitoring of the data transfer process as part of the log management module including FTA Collect and FTA Sync logs.

Features:

  • Collecting and normalizing information from different sources (testers)

  • Synchronizing collected information into on central server (Microsoft SQL Server)

  • Generating Dynamic Queries by Dates, Products, Serial Numbers and/or Sites/Lines

  • Ability to switch between different levels of data on the Query screen by mouse click

  • Working with statistical data based on SPC including CP/CPk, PP/PPk etc.

  • Ability to print or export displayed data directly from Query screen

  • Generating build-in and user defined reports

  • Ability to print or export any generated report

  • Report generator for user report template generation (based on standard Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder)

Figure 3. General Summary

Figure 4. Product Summary

Figure 5. Serial Number Information

Summary
 

  • Identification of problems that are otherwise hidden

  • Effective defect prevention

  • Immediate and Accessible

  • Can be performed at factory floor level or by management

  • Easy to deploy

  • Applicable to any size of operation

  • Working with disributed system structures

  • SPC

Business benefits
 

  • Increased Yield

  • Lower production costs

  • Higher productivity

  • Decrease RMA

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