Constructing a test strategy requires considering many other factors as well, including the product and product line under test, facility, capabilities of test personnel, company and management philosophies, budgets, and existing test strategies. Quality target may demand environmental stress screening and other manufacturing steps that significantly affect test choices. Also important are design issues, the design process, and the types of automated aids that designers use. In addition, many test solutions do not fit properly into traditional categories. Combinational testers, for example, contain features of both in-circuit and functional approaches.
Emulation provides an alternative to full functional testing.
Even tester-selection channel have changed. Acquisition costs range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Fixturing. programming, training, and other costs vary widely. Planning a board-test strategy and implementing it are complex tasks. If the existing approach has produced less than satisfactory results, the temptation is to scrap it.