- Swedish company Testblox offers an alternative for test engineers who build functional test systems by integrating a range of I/O, switching cards, and USB instrument modules directly into the test fixture.
- Testblox has therefore developed a solution to simplify the integration of all test instruments into a single test interface.
- Its concept involves integrating measurement, I/O, switching, and power supply cards directly into the test fixture.
- Nearly 40 modules—taking the form of electronic cards the size of a playing card—are currently available.
- Specific accessories and backplanes are offered to assemble and integrate these cards directly into a test interface.
The module lineup includes a digital multimeter, multiplexers, matrix switches, relays, analog and digital I/O, a programmable power supply, and communication interfaces for the device under test.
The modules can be connected directly to the pins of the device under test (DUT) using standard D-Sub connectors or integrated into a custom interface board. This latter option enables a direct connection between the instrumentation and the device being tested, eliminating intermediate cabling depending on the chosen configuration.
“Integrating compact, mutually compatible modules—sharing the same form factor and compatible at the mechanical, electronic, and software levels—directly into the test fixture should reduce the costs and complexity of the test solution design process,” states Kyle Voosen of Testblox.
Platform compatible with a variety of software
Isolation between the modules and the backplane is designed to minimize ground loops. Reducing connection lengths can also lower the resistance and interference associated with interconnects. These characteristics are particularly relevant for the design of test benches, where cabling and maintenance must remain manageable.
Test system management is handled via USB using Brygga, Testblox’s software environment. This environment enables module detection and configuration, operational monitoring, and easier fault diagnosis. APIs are also available for Python, C#, and NI LabVIEW to automate test sequences.
The result of combined expertise
Founded in 2025, Testblox brings together the expertise of its own team, Wireflow (a Swedish specialist in electronic board test systems), and Pickering Interfaces (a UK-based manufacturer of signal switching and simulation solutions). Testblox developed the backplanes, software, and certain I/O components. Wireflow supplied multifunction I/O and power supplies, while Pickering Interfaces contributed to the development of switching solutions and digital multimeters.
The modules are designed in Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the UK, and manufactured in the Czech Republic, where Pickering operates a production facility. Testblox envisions other partners contributing to the evolution of the module range available for its platform over time.
Testblox offers a three-year warranty and a commitment to hardware availability for at least 20 years. “Just like all the test and switching solutions Pickering Interfaces already markets,” emphasizes Keith Moore, CEO of Pickering, who confirms that additional modules addressing specific testing needs will gradually expand the current Testblox product lineup.
