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Which fixture tier should I choose? ​

Start with Dev Pro unless one of the cases below clearly applies. Dev Pro unlocks professional testing capabilities — vertical actuation, exchangeable cartridges, dual-side probing, and a 5,000–10,000 cycle lifecycle — at prices traditionally associated with basic development fixtures. It is the recommended starting point for most teams.

Choose Dev if ​

  • You are at the earliest prototyping stage (EVT bring-up rigs, first-pass validation)
  • ~1,000 test cycles is plenty for the board's lifetime
  • Your board fits 196 × 180 mm (Dev) or 218 × 447 mm (Dev XL)
  • Lowest cost matters more than cartridge modularity — Dev fixtures are monolithic, so a board revision means a new fixture rather than a new cartridge

Choose Dev Pro if ​

  • You are anywhere from DVT through PVT — or unsure where you'll end up
  • You expect board revisions: the stock base carries forward and revisions only need a new cartridge
  • You want options as needs grow: G10 cartridges (~10,000 cycles), the Carbon variant for rigidity and durability, or the Tall variant for extra instrumentation space
  • Your board fits 285 × 240 mm or smaller

Choose Production if ​

  • You are running sustained high-volume testing — Production fixtures are built for millions of cycles with cam actuation and stabilized cartridges
  • You need ESD-safe or RF-shielded cartridges
  • You need advanced mechanical features: side probing (USB, RJ45, DC jack), high voltage protection, or safety interlocks
  • Your board is larger than Dev Pro sizes (Production bases span 160 × 100 mm up to 600 × 450 mm)

The upgrade path ​

You don't have to get this perfect on the first order. Dev Pro and Production share the same modular base-and-cartridge architecture, so moving up reuses your test point selection and design history — and once you own a base, board revisions are cartridge-only orders with reduced NRE. See fixture tiers for the full comparison and lifecycle economics.

Lead times: Dev and Dev Pro deliver in 2–3 weeks standard; Production in 6–8 weeks (2–3 weeks with proactive material stocking). Expedited options reach 1–2 days. See the fulfillment process for what happens between PO and delivery.

Still unsure? Configure your board in Studio — the fixture config workflow recommends a tier from your actual test point data — or reach out at hello@fixturfab.com.