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European Printed Circuit Board Automatic Test Equipment Markets

Frost & Sullivan
January 11, 2006
120 Pages - SKU: MC1282581

Abstract Table of Contents Related Reports

Countries covered: Europe

Research Overview

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled European Printed Circuit Board Automatic Test Equipment Markets provides an overview of PCB testers such as in-circuit testers (ICT), functional testers, boundary scan testers and manufacturing defect analysers. This research service offers a description of the key industry challenges and market drivers as well as strategic recommendations for ATE vendors. It also analyses the latest trends and provides an insight into key alliances and their long-term impact.

Market Sectors

Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:

In-circuit testers (ICT)
Functional testers
Boundary scan testers
Manufacturing defect analysers

Market Overview

Shift in Fault Spectrum of Electronic Assemblies Likely to Have Significant Impact on Market Growth

The European electronic manufacturing industry is witnessing a rise in demand for printed circuit board (PCB) automatic test equipment (ATE) to identify defects in electronic assemblies. Over the past five years, the typical distribution of fault classes during circuit board assembly has undergone a considerable change. In addition, circuit boards are becoming inaccessible for ‘bed of nails’ fixtures. There is also a major discrepancy between faults occurring in the current board manufacturing environments and the capabilities of the installed base of testers. Thus, this shift in the fault spectrum signifies that while the occurrence of faults is declining, the cost of testing continues to remain high.

"Moreover, increasing board densities and the growing requirement for PCBs to perform in high temperature and humidity environments have led to major concerns related to reliability problems," notes the analyst of this research service. "As a result, boundary scan techniques that facilitate testing without physical access are rapidly becoming a viable option for advanced technology end users, thereby supporting overall market development."

Strategic Alliances to Assist ATE Vendors in Dealing with Intensifying Competition

Although the majority of test equipment continues to be manufactured in North America and Europe, there has been a shift in focus towards countries in the Asia Pacific, primarily China. In keeping with the trend of intensifying competition in the test equipment market, providing greater price cuts will become difficult due to low profit margins. Thus, European vendors will need to shift base to low-cost regions to sustain profits.

New electrical products such as personal computers (PCs), notebooks, modules, camcorders and cellular phones are likely to become increasingly complex. "As a result, the demand for advanced packaging and interconnect technologies is likely to intensify and test equipment vendors will need to develop systems that are capable of testing such miniature and complex boards," says the analyst.

1. Executive Summary
        1. Market Overview
                1. Introduction
                2. Market Forecasts
        2. Summary of Major Findings
                1. Market Segment Analysis - Total PCB ATE Markets
                2. Market Segment Analysis - In-circuit ATE Market
                3. Market Segment Analysis - Functional ATE Market
                4. Market Segment Analysis - Boundary Scan ATE Market
                5. Market Segment Analysis - Manufacturing Defect Analysers ATE Market
                6. Strategic Conclusions

2. Total Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) Market
        1. Overview
                1. Overview and Definition
                2. Market Engineering Measurements - Overview
                3. Market Engineering Measurements - Sizing Analysis
                4. Market Engineering Measurements - Structure Analysis
                5. Market Challenges
                6. Market Drivers
                a. Evolution of Multifunction ATE Expected to Meet the Demands of the Growing PCB Market
                b. Design-for-test (DFT) and Built-in Self-test (BIST) Techniques Lower Costs
                c. Growing Market for Advanced Electronic Products Seen as a Driver for Advanced ATE
                d. ATE Hardware to Software Strategies: the Shift
                e. Reduced ATE Sizes
                7. Market Restraints
                a. Industry Trends Toward Miniaturisation and High-density Circuitry Demand New Test Equipment
                b. Increasing Quality Standards Have Reduced the Need for Testing
                c. High Cost of ATE
                d. Increasing Board Densities Demand New Testers
                e. Maturity of PCB ATE Markets Hinders Extensive Growth for ATE Services Market
        2. Forecast Trends and Revenue Analysis
                1. Revenue Forecasts
                2. Market and Technology Trends
        3. Competitive Structure and Market Share Analysis
                1. Competitive Structure
                2. Market Share
        4. Geographic Analysis
                1. Overview
                2. Germany
                3. United Kingdom
                4. France
                5. Benelux
                6. Rest-of-Europe
        5. Frost & Sullivan Awards
                1. Overview
                2. Brand Development Strategy Leadership Award
                3. Product Differentiation Innovation Award
                4. Technology Leadership Award
                5. Technology Innovation Award

3. In-circuit ATE Market
        1. Overview
                1. Overview and Definition
                2. Market Engineering Measurements
                3. Market Drivers
                a. Production-orientated Approach to Testing Reduces Cost of Testing
                b. Vectorless Test Techniques are Being Developed to Reduce the Test Development Effort of Complex Digital Parts
                c. Low-cost ICT Helps OEMs Invest in ICT
                4. Market Restraints
                a. Reduced Electrical Access
                b. Changes in Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Manufacturing Pose Challenges During Testing
                c. Decrease in the Distribution of Fault Classes
                d. Conventional Methods of ICT Being Replaced by New Test Technologies
        2. Forecast Trends and Revenue Analysis
                1. Revenue Forecasts
                2. Market and Technology Trends
        3. Competitive Structure and Market Share Analysis
                1. Competitive Structure
                2. Market Share Analysis

4. Functional ATE Market
        1. Overview
                1. Overview and Definition
                2. Market Engineering Measurements
                3. Market Drivers
                a. More Flexible Software-based Test Solutions in Place of Hardware-based Testing
                b. Demand for Functional ATE is Increasing Due to Shorter Product Life-cycles
                c. Signal Integrity Drives Functional Testing
                4. Market Restraints
                a. Increasing Difficulty in Functional Test Diagnostics and Repair
                b. Design-for-Test (DFT) Expected to Lower Dependence on ATE
        2. Forecast Trends and Revenue Analysis
                1. Revenue Forecasts
                2. Market and Technology Trends
        3. Competitive Structure and Market Share Analysis
                1. Competitive Structure
                2. Market Share Analysis

5. Boundary Scan ATE Market
        1. Overview
                1. Overview and Definition
                2. Market Engineering Measurements
                3. Market Drivers
                a. Reusability of Boundary Scan Tests after Manufacturing Results in Significant Cost and Time Saving
                b. Ball Grid Array (BGA) Packaging Driving Market for Boundary Scans
                c. High Accessibility of Boundary Scans Expected to Drive Market
                d. Economical Advantage Offered over Other Test Methods
                4. Market Restraints
                a. The Need for the Chip Designer to Design Boundary Scan into the Chip
                b. Lack of Boundary Scan-compatible Components
        2. Forecast Trends and Revenue Analysis
                1. Revenue Forecasts
                2. Market and Technology Trends
        3. Competitive Structure and Market Share Analysis
                1. Competitive Structure
                2. Market Share Analysis

6. Manufacturing Defect Analysers ATE Market
        1. Overview
                1. Overview and Definition
                2. Market Engineering Measurements
                3. Market Drivers
                a. Low Cost of MDAs Make them a Viable Option for End-users
                b. Improvements in Manufacturing Processes Expand Role of MDAs
                c. MDAs are Upgradable and Hence Avoid Obsolesence
                d. Suitable for High-volume Testing
                4. Market Restraints
                a. Lower Priced and Reduced Functionality ICT Systems Competing with MDAs
                b. Dynamic Testing of Boards Not Possible Using MDAs
        2. Forecast Trends and Revenue Analysis
                1. Revenue Forecasts
                2. Market and Technology Trends
        3. Competitive Structure and Market Share Analysis
                1. Competitive Structure
                2. Market Share Analysis

7. Appendix
        1. Decision Support Database
                1. Annual Telecom Investments
                2. Personal Computer Installed Base
                3. Printed Circuit Board Sales
                4. Global Semiconductor and Semiconductor Equipment Market
                5. Total Light Vehicle Sales

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European Printed Circuit Board Automatic Test Equipment Markets

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