The importance of testing complex electronics
The increasing functionality of modern electronics systems is being achieved through more complex integrated circuits, dense surface mount assemblies and increasingly through the use of multiple complex ICs interconnected to form multi-chip modules, all of which have progressively increased the cost of testing and its share of production cost, so that test costs are dominant today. Initiatives taken in Europe by leading corporations and recently adopted as IEEE standards for logic circuit testability, are now enabling electronic access for in-circuit testing and diagnostics at IC and board and MCM level, thereby improving quality and throughput in the manufacture of electronics. various proprietary solutions are also being introduced very effectively for analogue circuits, and for specialised computing and telecommunications systems, some using expert systems to aid diagnostics and improving the quality and throughput of testing. The solutions are most cost-effectively introduced at the design stage when maximum impact can be achieved on subsequent life-cycle costs.
VHDL links design, test, and maintenance
The authors discuss the very high-speed integrated circuit (VHSIC) hardware description language (VHDL), a universal HDL that is being adopted for design tools throughout the electronics industry in the wake of its December 1987 approval as IEEE Standard 1076-1987. The main purpose of VHDL is to allow designers to model, synthesize, and simulate components, chips, and systems from the most abstract behavioral level through logic gates. The authors briefly consider some existing HDLs, examine some VHDL tools that are now in use in industry and at universities, describe the benefits of VHDL, and relate the experiences of some users.<<ETX>>
Specialized Laboratory Information Systems.
Some laboratories or laboratory sections have unique needs that traditional anatomic and clinical pathology systems may not address. A specialized laboratory information system (LIS), which is designed to perform a limited number of functions, may perform well in areas where a traditional LIS falls short. Opportunities for specialized LISs continue to evolve with the introduction of new testing methodologies. These systems may take many forms, including stand-alone architecture, a module integrated with an existing LIS, a separate vendor-supplied module, and customized software. This article addresses the concepts underlying specialized LISs, their characteristics, and in what settings they are found.