Circuit board testing resources
Everything we know about testing PCBAs — from choosing a testing method to writing test specifications to building a complete test system. Built from over a decade of fixture manufacturing and test engineering.
Circuit board testing typically involves one of four approaches: functional testing, in-circuit testing (ICT), boundary scan, or flying probe. Each catches different defects at different costs, and the right choice depends on your board complexity, production volume, and what failures you need to catch. This library covers all four methods, plus the practical decisions around test infrastructure — fixtures, instrumentation, software, and scaling.
When timelines get tight, tests get skipped entirely. Boards ship untested, defects surface at final assembly or in the field, and the cost of fixing them multiplies with every step they travel downstream.
We built this resource library because we kept answering the same questions about testing methods, fixture decisions, and test infrastructure.
Start here
The three starting points most engineers need. If you're choosing a testing method, start with Test Methodologies. If you need to implement one, start with How-To Guides. If you want tools you can run today, start with Open Source.
Understand functional testing, ICT, boundary scan, flying probe, and when each approach fits your board and volume. Start here if you're choosing a testing methodology.
Practical how-to content covering circuit board testing basics, design-for-test guidelines, test point placement, and vendor evaluation. Start here if you're building test capability for the first time.
Open-source testing tools from FixturFab, including pytest-f3ts and f3ts-hardware-utils. Test frameworks, instrumentation control, and project templates. Start here if you want a working test automation stack.
Most-read guides
The three resources most teams read first: choosing a testing approach, deciding whether to build or buy fixtures, and setting up test automation.
The foundational guide — covers four major testing methods, when each fits, and how testing requirements evolve from prototype to production.
The math on building fixtures internally versus buying from a vendor, including the costs teams tend to undercount.
Core framework for hardware functional testing in Python. Structured test plans, instrument control patterns, and measurement data collection.
Proof & practice
How other teams solved their testing challenges, and deeper dives into specific topics.
Case Studies
How hardware teams solved specific testing challenges — from scaling prototype test setups to deploying fixtures at contract manufacturers. Start here if you want to see what others in your situation did.
BrowseArticles
Topical articles on PCB testing, fixture design, and test engineering practice. Start here if you're researching a specific topic not covered in the how-to guides.
BrowseMedia & reference
Recorded walkthroughs, expert conversations, and quick-reference definitions when you hit an unfamiliar term.
Webinars
Hosted and third-party webinars on PCB testing, test system architecture, and manufacturing test strategy. Recordings and presentation materials.
Podcasts
Podcast appearances covering electronics testing, fixture design, and the gap between product development and manufacturing test.
Videos
Video walkthroughs of test fixtures, equipment setup, and testing techniques. Useful if you want to see how things work before reading about them.
Glossary
Clear definitions for PCB testing and bed-of-nails fixture terminology. Useful as a quick reference when you hit an unfamiliar term.
Not sure where to start?
Our most comprehensive guide walks through the four primary testing methods for circuit boards, explains when each approach fits, and covers how testing requirements change as you scale from prototypes to production volumes. It's the guide most visitors read first.