Enable faster production programming with smart design choices that align with scalable manufacturing
Design for Programmability
Design for Programmability
Our team works directly with your engineers to improve design outcomes:
- Connector & Pinout Recommendations
We help define programming connectors, headers, or pads that suit automated platforms like FlashRunner, SEGGER, and Elprotronic. - Signal Integrity and Access Planning
Ensure clean access to SPI, I2C, UART, SWD, or JTAG signals with proper impedance, isolation, and decoupling. - Shared Resource Optimization
Plan for programming/test signal multiplexing without interfering with runtime performance. - Power-Up Sequencing & Reset Control
Design for safe, repeatable programming through well-defined startup logic and power domain control. - Design Rule Checks (DRCs)
Formal review of schematic and layout for program path reliability and fixture accessibility. - Fixture & Programming Strategy Recommendations
Guidance on how the board will be programmed—manually or automated—and with what equipment.
Arxtron Technologies’ Design for Programmability (DFP) consulting helps electronics teams design PCBs that are optimized for efficient, robust, and scalable firmware or software programming in production. From connector choices to signal routing and test point access, DFP ensures that in-system and boundary programming can be performed reliably—reducing factory downtime, improving yields, and speeding up new product introduction (NPI).
We help you get programming right the first time—by planning for it early in the design phase.
Applications & Use Cases
Our DFP services are ideal for:
- Products requiring in-circuit or boundary scan programming
- High-volume production programming using flashers or PXI systems
- Hybrid test stations with integrated functional + flashing
- Devices with multiple MCUs, EEPROMs, or programmable power components
- Legacy products transitioning to automated flashing
- Designs needing secure firmware handling or traceable flashing
Whether you’re designing a new board or upgrading an existing workflow, DFP helps unlock consistent and scalable programming strategies.
CAPABILITIES & TECHNOLOGIES
We leverage a full set of tools and experience across platforms:
In-system programming (ISP) integration via FlashRunner, SEGGER, Data I/O
Knowledge of firmware structures, checksums, secure bootloaders
In-house fixture design for dual-sided access and programming probe placement
PXI, boundary scan, and test-access integration
DFX reviews across hardware, firmware, and test integration
Secure image management and MES integration for traceable flashing
BENEFITS & CUSTOMER VALUE
Integrating DFP into your design cycle yields long-term production and quality gains:
Reduced flashing time and higher throughput
Lower fixture complexity and improved station reliability
Minimized field returns due to incomplete/failed programming
Smoother NPI handoffs from design to manufacturing
Higher flexibility in production test planning
Streamlined hybrid test and programming setups
Arxtron ensures that your designs are not just testable—but programmable with speed and precision.
