Electronics Weekly puts its questions to an industry figure: Simon Payne, CEO of boundary scan test firm XJTAG

We hear you reckon the UK needs to sort out its electronics events. Why?
The UK has a vibrant and innovative electronics industry but we lack a single international electronics event that attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the UK. This cannot be good for our global competitiveness. It would be great to see a single international event in the UK that united the industry and brought together everyone from large corporations, SMEs and government agencies to trade associations, universities and the VC community.

Do you still get something out of attending exhibitions/conferences?
I would have to say yes having just returned from Nepcon World Japan with over 2,000 new contacts. This year we will be supporting our growing network of distributors by exhibiting at a number of shows worldwide but XJTAG will still be attending several UK events. With Nepcon at the Birmingham NEC now cancelled, we urge everyone in the electronics industry to support the inaugural National Electronics Week (NEW) at Earls Court in June.

Has the "XJTAG-Inside" idea taken off for your boundary scan technology?
"XJTAG-Inside" was conceived to enable our growing community of technology partners to integrate the XJTAG boundary scan system with their own specialist test products. It's been a win-win all round as our technology partners gain additional and much sought after BGA test capability as well as the extended capabilities of boundary scan testing. Needless to say, XJTAG is actively looking to expand the 'XJTAG-Inside' technology partner program during 2008.

Is the market for boundary scan technology getting more competitive?
The increased density of boards and the trend towards BGA packages is driving a worldwide demand for boundary scan. The cost of test in development is now becoming a critical factor and needs to be considered earlier in the design cycle - even before any hardware is produced. We provide a test solution across the whole product life cycle, and by providing reusable code and the ability to test non-JTAG devices, the test development time and cost is reduced. There are very few solutions in the market that take this approach.

Does boundary scan always spot problems with component circuitry?
No test solution can test all of a design but as XJTAG tests both JTAG and non-JTAG devices, it is often possible - with a well designed board - to see test coverage very close to 100 per cent. However, some designs will need a number of test solutions to achieve an acceptable level of test which is why XJTAG has a technology partner program.

See also: Q5 - Interviews with electronics industry leaders
Read all the Electronics Weekly Q5 interviews. From ARM's chairman, Sir Robin Saxby, to touchscreen technology firm Zytronic's MD, Mark Cambridge, the business leaders share their particular insights on the UK electronics industry.