Interface design

The signal interface connects the fixture's probes to your test equipment. The interface you chose in Studio decides what happens in this phase and which approvals you give. See Test Point Carrier Board (TPCB) for background on each option.

Signal interface	What you do	What you approve
Bare receptacles	Nothing; this phase is skipped unless you ordered a feedthrough plate	—
Wired receptacles, or wired and labeled	Review the wiring	Wiring report
Auto TPCB	Complete the pin-mapping worksheet	TPCB Review: the schematic, then the layout
Consigned TPCB	Design the TPCB from our template	You upload the TPCB Design Package; we check its STEP model fits the fixture

Bare receptacles

With bare receptacles, we fit receptacles for each probe and you wire them to your equipment. There is nothing to design or approve in this phase. The order goes straight from kickoff to fixture design. Your order page in Studio hides the Interface design stage.

If you also ordered a feedthrough plate, the order goes through this phase to collect the feedthrough requirements.

Wired receptacles

We wire each receptacle to your test interface, and label the wires if you chose wired and labeled receptacles. Designing the wiring and labels takes 1 business day. We then send you the wiring report, which maps every test point to its wire and connector pin. Approve it, or request changes, within 1 business day.

Auto TPCB

An Auto TPCB is a test point carrier board that we design for you. It suits boards with around 50 or more test points, or programs with several fixtures.

1. Pin mapping. We send you the pin-mapping worksheet 1–3 business days after kickoff. It assigns test points to your connector pins. Complete and return it within 1 business day.
2. Schematic. We design the schematic in 1–2 business days and send a TPCB Review for the schematic stage. Approve it within 1 business day.
3. Layout. After you approve the schematic, we lay out the board in 1–2 business days and send the TPCB Review for the layout stage. Approve it within 1 business day.
4. Procurement. After you approve the layout, we order the TPCB's fabrication and assembly, which takes about 2 weeks. It runs while we design the rest of the fixture. See TPCB procurement.

Auto TPCB orders ship in the same lead time as bare receptacles.

Consigned TPCB

With a Consigned TPCB, you design the board and we build the fixture around it.

1. Template. We send you a KiCad design template that matches your cartridge within 1 business day.
2. Your design. Within 6 business days, you design the TPCB and upload its design package, including a STEP model, through the TPCB Design Package request on your order page.
3. Fit check. There is no approval for you to give here. Within 1 business day, we place your TPCB's STEP model in the fixture model and check that it fits, and contact you if it doesn't. We record the revision we built to.
4. Procurement. Once the board fits, you have it fabricated and assembled and send it to us. See TPCB procurement.

A Consigned TPCB adds about 1 week to the lead time.

TPCB procurement

Once the TPCB design is settled, the board is fabricated and assembled. This typically takes about 2 weeks and runs alongside fixture design. The TPCB must be in hand before manufacturing starts.

• Auto TPCB: we order the board's fabrication and assembly after you approve the layout.
• Consigned TPCB: after the fit check, you have the board fabricated and assembled and send it to us. We receive it and check it against the design package before it goes into the fixture. Tell us your ship date, since a late board moves the fixture's ship date.

Feedthrough plates

A feedthrough plate carries connectors through the fixture wall so your equipment plugs into the outside of the fixture. We collect the feedthrough requirements during interface design, alongside the wiring or TPCB work:

• The connectors you need, and where they go.
• The pinout of each connector.

Send them within 1 business day of our request. A feedthrough plate carries custom NRE, which is included in your quote.

What happens next

When the interface is approved, the order moves to fixture design. If you request changes, we revise and send the review again.