What Is a Turnkey Test System?#
A Turnkey Test System is a complete testing solution delivered production-ready. Operators place boards, press a button, and get pass/fail results. Everything is included: fixtures, instrumentation, custom electronics (TPCBs, support circuits), software, formal qualification, documentation, and deployment support.
Every Turnkey project starts with a System Blueprint to define the architecture, costs, and timeline before any build work begins. Typical projects deliver in 3-4 months. Pricing ranges from $50K for straightforward systems to $100K+ — complex multi-station deployments can reach $500K+.
All design files — STEP models, schematics, board layouts, assembly drawings — are delivered to you. You can maintain, modify, and extend the system without ongoing FixturFab involvement.
What Goes Into a Turnkey System#
Design#
Mechanical design covers fixture sizing, DUT stack-ups, interior component layout, back panel connectivity (power, monitor, peripherals), and thermal management for heat-generating instrumentation or DUTs.
Electrical design centers on custom TPCB (test point connection board) and support circuit design in KiCad EDA. Depending on your DUT, this can include power injection networks, continuity testing circuits, driver circuits for LEDs, motors, relays, and solenoids, analog multiplexers, voltage level shifters, communication translators (USB, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN), peripheral interfaces, and simulated loads.
Your team reviews and approves schematics before we proceed to board layout and fabrication. We verify finished PCBAs against 3D models for mechanical fit before system integration begins. Procurement of the CPU subsystem, fixture base, rack components, instrumentation, and electrical components runs in parallel with board fabrication.
Manufacturing#
Custom fabrication spans multiple processes. CNC machining produces Production-grade fixtures from FR4/G10 — materials chosen for the probe accuracy and durability that volume testing demands. Laser cutting creates acrylic components for windows, guards, and cable management. 3D printing produces custom parts like DUT cradles, alignment guides, and specialized mounting hardware.
Fixture assembly includes probe, receptacle, and guide pin insertion, with optional wired and labeled receptacles for complex signal routing. System assembly covers instrumentation mounting and wiring, rack assembly, and system base configuration.
Automation#
Test software is built on FixturFab's open-source Python frameworks — the same tools freely available to any team:
- pytest-f3ts — pytest plugin for hardware functional testing
- test-runner — Docker/Balena deployment with operator GUI, logging, and account management
- f3ts-hardware-utils — instrumentation control modules
Same frameworks, different effort
These frameworks are genuinely open-source. Nothing stops you from building the same automation yourself. Turnkey pricing reflects FixturFab engineers learning your specific DUT and writing custom test logic — not the software platform. Customers write standard Python test code; the framework handles deployment, GUI, logging, and instrumentation control.
FixturFab develops the device-specific Test Plan — the custom test cases, measurement sequences, and pass/fail logic for your particular board. When LabVIEW-based automation is required, FixturFab partners with third-party specialists.
Fulfillment#
Finished systems are packaged in rugged travel cases tailored to system size, weight, and destination. Every delivery includes comprehensive installation and operation guides. Optional system walkthrough video calls cover operation, maintenance, and software for teams deploying remotely.
Qualification Testing#
During the Blueprint phase, FixturFab develops a Qualification & Acceptance Plan. The finished system is tested against it before shipment. This isn't a cursory bench check — it's formal verification that the system performs to specification.
Six areas of qualification testing:
| Area | What It Verifies |
|---|---|
| Measurement compliance | Every test case meets PASS/FAIL criteria defined in the Test Plan |
| Calibration effectiveness | Measurement accuracy and variance improve to within specification after calibration |
| Mechanical repeatability | Consistent results across repeated DUT insertion and removal cycles |
| System stability | Continuous operation through 8+ hour manufacturing shifts without operator intervention or drift |
| Slot interoperability | Variance across test slots stays within tolerance (multi-slot systems) |
| System interoperability | Variance between identical systems stays within tolerance (multi-system deployments) |
FixturFab submits qualification reports with collected log data for your review and approval before shipment. Systems don't ship until qualification passes.
Is Turnkey Right for You?#
Most teams are better served by self-integration. That's not a sales tactic — it's practical advice.
The open-source frameworks in a Turnkey system are the same ones we publish for anyone to use. The expensive part of Turnkey is device-specific engineering: FixturFab engineers learning your DUT and writing custom test logic for it. Your engineers typically understand your product better than we ever will. That knowledge advantage translates directly into faster development and better test coverage.
The self-integration path: FixturFab fixtures configured in Studio, instrumentation from Shop, open-source frameworks (pytest-f3ts, test-runner), and educational resources. Gets you testing faster and at lower cost.
Turnkey makes sense when:
- Regulated production requires formal design documentation and qualification protocols that auditors will review
- No internal test engineering and no plan to build it — your organization makes hardware but doesn't have (or want) software and integration capability
- Complex integration where interactions between fixture, instrumentation, and software are non-obvious — multiple communication protocols, mixed-signal testing, or multi-board test sequences
We recommend self-integration for most teams because it's genuinely better for them. For the teams that need Turnkey, the qualification rigor and design documentation we deliver is why.
Start with Self-Integration
Configure a fixture, grab the open-source frameworks, and start testing. Most teams get farther, faster this way.
What You'll Need#
Every Turnkey project starts with a System Blueprint, so the preparation is the same:
- PCBA manufacturing files (Gerbers, ODB++, or IPC-D-356)
- 3D PCBA model (STEP)
- Test point list
- Detailed test plan
- Instrumentation preferences (optional)
- Physical DUT (optional)
FixturFab's free Studio tools help prepare: DFT Analysis for testability review and Test Strategy for functional requirements mapping.
Budget expectations: $50K minimum, 3-4 months from Blueprint kickoff to system delivery.
Get Started#
Every Turnkey project begins with a System Blueprint — a paid engineering engagement that defines the architecture, costs, and timeline before any build work starts. The Blueprint confirms Turnkey is the right approach and becomes the project scope if you proceed.
Discuss Your Project
Tell us about your test system requirements. We'll start with a Blueprint engagement to scope the full project.