Getting Started

Preamble

Check out example projects for a demo!

1. Make an account: app.thejigsapp.com
2. Decide what nodes you want to connect. Refer to our Generating a Test Point Report notes for help.
3. Make a plan for test engine. We can help or we can recommend someone who can.
4. Download the example templates:
   • Design file (Full)
   • Design file (Simplified)
   • Configuration file
5. Choose your use case:
   • “I needed a jig last month and we need help”
   • Existing design
   • New design
   • Someone else’s existing design

Overview

graph TD;
    Start((Start)) -->|Requirements Analysis| RequirementsResolution[1. Requirements Resolution];
    RequirementsResolution -->|Define test requirements| TestPoints[2. Test Point Placement];
    TestPoints -->|Choose test points & netlist| ChooseTestEngine[3. Choose Test Engine];
    ChooseTestEngine -->|Select appropriate test engine| OrderTestJig[4. Ordering a Test Jig];
    OrderTestJig -->|Specify requirements| ReceiveTestJig[5. Receive Our Kit];
    ReceiveTestJig -->|Assemble| SetupTestJig[6. Install Cassette & Test Engine];
    SetupTestJig --> End((End));

Use Case: “I needed a jig last month and we need help”

Use our design services to get going.

5. Export your board gerbers to a zip archive
6. Enter your gerbers and probe list here to create a full service project
7. We’ll get back to you with the completed design for your approval
8. Complete the order
9. Receive your jig and start testing

Use Case: “Designing a jig for an existing board”

Design it yourself

5. Add the cradle layers to your EDA design. Refer to the Designing Cradle Layers notes for help. Remember that additional features can be added using the design file.
6. Place pressure pins, referring to Pressure Pins
7. Place support pins, referring to Support & Alignment Pins
8. Export your layer gerbers to a zip archive. Since we don’t use your copper, paste, silkscreen, or mask layers feel free to leave those out.
9. Configure your project using the configuration file. Specify the layer heights, file names, and intended hardware classes referring to the Configuration File guide.
10. Enter your design here for a self-service project. Our system will check that you have all the right sections and runs a design rule check giving you immediate feedback.
11. After the design is entered you’ll get all the layers you entered available as SVGs. Visually check that the stack-up is roughly as you intended. We recommend importing the layers into your EDA program to double check their alignment. Errors are easily caught at this stage.
12. Once you’ve checked your design we spin up a bunch of tasks to generate your design into manufacturable formats. It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll get an automatic email notification when it’s ready.
13. Once the generation is done you can look at the generated PCB. It’s supplied as a normal KiCAD project, so if you like, you can edit it like any other PCB layout. We’ll give you the best few options to choose from out of the auto-generation results. Two and four layer options are available.
14. Complete the order
15. Receive your jig and start testing

Use Case: “Designing a jig for a new board”

Design it yourself and plan beforehand

If you are planning testing before you finished your design then you’re ahead of the curve!

5. Review our notes on Designing for Test and Manufacturing (DFT/DFM). If possible probe only on one side of the board. At a minimum, make sure that power and ground are accessible from both sides.
6. Enter your design on the project creation page to run the DRC. This will check probe clearances and other important dimensions. Courtyards can also be added around test points to ensure that adequate keep-out regions are maintained (Note this isn’t always reasonable when doing something like probing the bottom side of a through-hole component).
7. Follow the steps of designing for an existing board.

Use Case: “Designing a jig for someone else’s board”

Design it yourself and with no design files

If you have access to the EDA files or the manufacturing drawings follow the steps in designing for an existing board instead.

5. Don’t lose hope. Check out our guide on Building a Jig Without the Design for a walk-through. This will walk through a few examples of getting an accurate reference image, easily getting the probe positions, and making a board outline. . Follow the steps of designing for an existing board.

Preparing Input Files

The ordering portal takes three files:

Configuration File

• Type: TOML file
• Contents: Project meta data and configuration settings for the jig. Example configurations are available. At a minimum the following options are required:

The header “jig” should be used so that this configuration file can be used to specify other sections of the testing process such as the test engine.

[jig]
orientation = 90
probe_side = "top"
board_type = "rigid"
probe_class = "R125"
min_probe_board_layers = 6
stand_type = "XV-35"
connector = "2x20-2.54mm-s"

[jig.layers]
pressure_pin.file = "pressure_pins.gbr"
outline.file = "outline.gbr"
clearance.file = "clearance.gbr"
clearance.height = 10
support.file = "support.gbr"
support.height = 4
probe.file = "probe.gbr"
probe.height = 10
base.file = "base.gbr"
base.height = 10

Gerbers

• Type: zip archive
• Contents: Gerber files for each of the cradle layers

It is recommended to use the following names. The system will attempt to match the layer names if exact matches aren’t found. The file names can also be specified in the configuration file.

Gerber File Contents

Design File

The design file format supports several power user features while requiring only a few inputs.

• Type: spreadsheet file. Currently supported: [.xls, .xlsx].
• Contents: Connector assignments, probe configuration, support pins, and layer features/reliefs.

Like the gerbers it is recommended to use the sheet names below but they are automatically matched for simple variations. The fields must have the same header to not throw an error.

Required Design File Sheets

Optional Design File Sheets

Each of the layers has a corresponding design sheet that can be used to add features and hardware programmatically instead of through a vector input.