Test engineer: Design Phase

This includes the following...

* Making sure the product has correct label specs and placement that would make it possible for the unit to be traceable and programmable. Implementing good label specs results in having correct information programmed correctly into the [[Device Under Test|Unit Under Test (UUT)] (sometimes called DUT or Device Under Test)]. To make this possible, the test engineers enforce those labels needed are all readable and scannable thus eliminating the need for a manual typing of information into the unit. Manual typing only introduces problems related to inaccurate information being program due to human errors. Also, without the test engineers input during PRD design phase, the hardware engineer in charge of designing of the silk-screen for the PCB may put those labels below some attachable board which renders the labels useless (i.e. in a motherboard/daughterboard design and also a board that has a pluggable module, a label would be visible on the main board by itself but would be obstructed by the other boards that needs to be integrated). This information are often indicated in both PRD and MRD.

* Making sure that all components required to test and debug the UUT, which includes mostly the console/serial port, are all accessible from the early part of the manufacturing process up to the last part which is often the Final Quality Audit/Assurance (FQA) process. This also includes making sure those components are available even after the units are returned by the customers for troubleshooting or repair. By following this guidelines, the team will eliminate unnecessary opening of the UUT just to access those components which may result in introducing errors into the unit (i.e. knocking off some capacitors or resistors when opening/sliding out the cover, dropping the tool inside the PCBA after opening, forgetting some other cables to reconnect before closing the unit for manufacturing process flow continuation, etc).

* Making sure that all components needed to test the unit are added into the cost matrix of the final product. This components may include the UART/RS232 chips for talking to the UUT, ethernet ports for upgrading the firmware, JTAG connectors, etc.

* Defining what manufacturing test process is needed based from the product definition.

By making sure that the above items are followed through by the test engineers, no other surprises will pop up (like adding extra components, relayout of the boards, etc) which drives cost and development delay of the final product.

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