Abstract: Techniques to display and analyze reliability data about a large population of objects are disclosed. In some embodiments, reliability data is arranged in an array, comprising a plurality of linear arrays each of which includes reliability data for a corresponding reporting period. The reliability data includes for each of a plurality of subpopulations a corresponding reliability metric for that subpopulation with respect to the reporting period. A statistics-based conditional formatting is applied to at least a subset of cells comprising the array. The statistics-based conditional formatting may be applied by invoking a function or other automated method to apply a first cell formatting to a first set of cells having a first degree of statistical significance relative to a reference population of cells and a second cell formatting to a second set of cells having a second degree of statistical significance relative to the reference population.

Abstract: A system is configured to obtain electromagnetic data from a circuit board. A set of sensing locations resides in a plane which is substantially parallel to the circuit board. The system includes a probe, a robotic assembly coupled to the probe, and a controller coupled to the probe and the robotic assembly. The controller is configured to move the probe to various sensing locations (e.g., a two-dimensional grid of sensing locations) and collect electromagnetic data from these sensing locations. The controller is further configured to provide an electromagnetic data output based on the collected electromagnetic data. The controller is further configured to direct the probe (or an adjacent probe) to emit electromagnetic interference at these locations in order to determine the effect of such interference on circuit board operation.

Abstract: A method for selecting an I/O buffer. The method includes providing a plurality of I/O buffers. Each one of the plurality of I/O buffers has a different performance characteristic. Each one of the plurality of I/O buffers is coupled to a receiving device through a corresponding one of a plurality of transmission lines. Each one of the plurality of buffers is driven by a logic signal. Each one of the transmission lines produces a corresponding series of output logic signals. The plurality of output signals is observed. The method includes selecting one of the plurality of I/O buffers in accordance with the observed output signals.