TAGS：industrial automation, PCB test engineering, Design for Test, DFM, Siemens Xcelerator, Valor software, Xpedition software, PLC, DCS, factory automation
Siemens Launches Integration of ASTER to Boost Industrial Automation Offerings
Recently, Siemens has acquired ASTER Technologies, which is a leading supplier of test engineering software for printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). This strategic acquisition brings the advanced Design for Test (DFT) capabilities of ASTER into the Xpedition™ and Valor™ software tools of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. Therefore, customers have the ability to manage the digital thread of the PCB design and manufacture for early defect identification and reduction in costs and time to market for increased reliability.
Addressing the Growing Complexity of Electronics Manufacturing
With the increasing use of automotive electronics and products supporting the use of 5G, the level of PCB design and manufacturing complexity faced by companies has increased. The need to address this challenge is met by Siemens’s inclusion of ASTER, which integrates the analysis of testability and DFT approaches through testability analysis within PCB design and manufacturing. By incorporating a test strategy, companies can avoid designing and reduce costly failures and standards violations. The need to accurately detect defects early is crucial in the respective industry of automated manufacturing, which employs PLC, DCS, and control systems.
ASTER’s Expertise Enhances Siemens’ Design for Manufacturing Solution
ASTER was founded in 1993 and has its headquarters at Cesson-Sévigné, France. ASTER has made an impressive mark in PCBA test verification solutions. ASTER’s main product, TestWay, enables full analysis and optimized programming for tests. Use of TestWay combined with Siemens Valor tools improves DFM (Design for Manufacturing), and it helps analyze PCB designs and perform effective testing strategies. The union of these two technologies marks a groundbreaking step in automation technology and factory automation technology.
Achieving Efficiency in the Area of “Shift-Left”
There is a focus on the “shift-left” process in the solutions of ASTER, as this enables the engineers to incorporate test strategies as early as in the design stage. This would act as a preventive measure that would eventually reduce flaws, minimize production costs, as well as reduce the time to market the product. When I analyzed the process involved in industrial electronics, the inclusion of DFT in the design process would significantly decrease failures in high-reliability applications such as automotives.
"Strategic Value for High-End Electronic Systems"
Applications of ASTER’s offerings include high performance computing, automobile electronics, as well as networking devices. With its acquisition by Siemens, the former’s offerings will reach even more customers as it further enriches Siemens’s premium DFM offering. With these offerings, customers will be better positioned to optimize design as well as test, so their complex electronics will be ensured to adhere to their highest quality and reliability standards. For the industry, it will translate into more reliable control systems and fewer unexpected maintenance downtimes for factory automation.
Containing the Alternator Business within Siemens’ Portfolio
Author Insights: Implications for Industrial Automation
The inclusion of ASTER technology in the Siemens line of products is a consequence of a larger movement in industrial automation, and that is seeing design and manufacturing come together with digitalization. With more and more factories being controlled by automation, control systems, PLCs, and DCS networks, it has become a necessity to incorporate test planning in design rather than a choice-it has become a necessity. Incorporating workflows that are based on DFT technology may help improve system production and reduce system downtime costs. Also, it may help MFG cycles become faster with digitalization technology.
Application Scenarios
Automotive Electronics : Early integration of DFT helps ensure the quality of control units considered to be of high importance regarding safety.
High-Performance Computing: It helps to decrease server PCB failure rates as well as the failure rates in networking components
Industrial Control Systems: Provides test coverage optimizing software for PLC, DCS, and factory automation electronics. Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS): Enables manufacturing efficiency, prevents rework, and speeds time-to-market.