How Corelis Technology Helped Improve Public Safety Radio Coverage in Charlotte, NC 

📡 Eliminating Radio Dead Zones for Emergency Responders

In bustling areas of Charlotte, North Carolina, including Northlake Mall, SouthPark Mall, and the Charlotte Convention Center; first responders were encountering a critical problem: radio signal dead zones. These communication failures put public safety at risk, preventing police, firefighters, and EMS teams from staying connected during emergencies.

🚓 The Challenge: Unreliable Public Safety Communication

With poor land mobile radio (LMR) coverage inside large buildings and high-traffic venues, time-sensitive decisions were being hindered. Reliable two-way radio coverage is not a luxury; it’s a necessity in any emergency response operation.

🛠 The Solution: PCTEL + Corelis Diagnostic Technology

Pierson Wireless, who partnered with PCTEL to deploy advanced RF testing equipment. These included walk testing and drive testing tools that rely on Corelis-powered diagnostics to analyze public safety radio coverage.

Corelis’ technology played a key role in:

• Providing accurate RF data for coverage mapping
• Supporting real-time diagnostics of radio signal strength
• Identifying weak zones and structural signal barriers

📈 The Result: Stronger Emergency Radio Coverage

With the actionable insights provided by Corelis-enabled tools, signal weak spots were identified and corrected. Emergency communication coverage across Charlotte’s key public spaces was significantly enhanced, saving precious time and possibly lives.

🧠 Why This Matters

This real-world success story highlights the value of wireless network testing, radio signal analysis, and diagnostic accuracy in improving first responder communication systems.

When seconds count, reliable communication isn’t optional, it’s life-saving.

✅ See the full case study:
👉 How Corelis Supports Smarter Public Safety Testing with PCTEL

Why JTAG Boundary Scan is a Manufacturing Requirement in the U.S.A.

And Why Corelis Should Be Your First Call

In electronics manufacturing, where devices are smaller, smarter, and more secure, JTAG boundary scan has evolved from a diagnostic tool into an industry requirement. From aerospace to automotive, and from defense to consumer IoT, manufacturers across the U.S. are turning to boundary scan not only to verify quality but also to accelerate time-to-market and meet compliance demands.

And when it comes to boundary scan, Corelis is the name trusted by the U.S. military, Fortune 500 OEMs, and Tier-1 contract manufacturers. Here’s why boundary scan is critical, and why Corelis is the right partner to deliver it.

No Physical Access? No Problem.

Use Case: High-Density PCB Assembly for Avionics Systems

Traditional test probes don’t work on today’s densely packed boards. Corelis’ boundary scan solutions let you test every connection; even on BGAs, QFNs, or multilayer PCBs; without ever touching a component pin. Whether you’re building an avionics module or a miniaturized medical device, Corelis gives you non-intrusive, IEEE 1149.1-compliant test coverage right out of the box.

✦ Corelis tools excel at detecting opens, shorts, and misaligned solder joints, before the board even reaches functional test.

Cut Debug Time. Cut Costs.

Use Case: Contract Manufacturer Building ECUs for U.S. Auto Makers

Every hour spent debugging a production failure is money lost. Corelis boundary scan software allows your team to pinpoint faults instantly; down to a specific net, component, or BGA ball; without requiring complete system teardown. And because it integrates with ICT and functional test environments, it scales with your production.

✦ One Corelis customer reduced RMA costs by 38% after implementing ScanExpress for root-cause fault isolation.

Secure Programming, Traceability, and Compliance – All in One

Use Case: Defense Contractor Programming FPGAs & Secure Microcontrollers

Corelis boundary scan tools aren’t just for testing; they also support secure in-system programming for FPGAs, CPLDs, flash, and microcontrollers. With full support for serialization, cryptographic key injection, and pass/fail traceability logs, Corelis helps ensure your product not only works; but meets ITAR, DoD, and NIST standards from the first unit to the millionth.

✦ Our ScanExpress solutions are already used on U.S. DoD weapon systems and ITAR-controlled boards.

Helps with IPC-A-610, AS9100, ISO 13485; Without the Guesswork

Use Case: Medical OEM Releasing a Life-Saving Device

Regulated industries like aerospace, medical, and defense demand documented, repeatable, and audit-ready test coverage. Corelis makes this easy with detailed reports, boundary scan coverage analysis, and proven integration with ERP, MES, and PLM systems.

✦ Corelis maintains AS9100 certification and develops products meant to be integrated with stringent quality management systems.

Accelerates NPI, Reduces Fixture Cost

Use Case: Startup Launching IoT Boards to U.S. Market

With Corelis boundary scan, engineering teams can validate prototypes and production runs without investing in expensive bed-of-nails fixtures. That means faster bring-up, better yield, and more freedom to iterate without breaking the bank.

✦ Launch smarter and faster with Corelis ScanExpress – trusted by Silicon Valley startups and global manufacturers alike.

Why Corelis?

✔ Made in the USA – Corelis tools are developed and supported in the United States, ensuring alignment with U.S. security and supply chain policies.
✔ Industry Proven – Used by NASA, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and many more.
✔ Scalable & Modular – From benchtop debug to full production integration.
✔ Exceptional Support – U.S.-based engineering team ready to help you configure, deploy, and scale.
✔ Complete Ecosystem – ScanExpress tools offer test, programming, analysis, and fault isolation; all in one.

Ready to Future-Proof Your Test Strategy?

Whether you’re building in California, Michigan, Texas, or across the globe, boundary scan is the standard for test coverage in modern manufacturing – and Corelis is the gold standard in boundary scan.

Don’t let yield issues, RMA costs, or compliance risks slow your production.
Talk to Corelis today and discover how boundary scan can improve your bottom line – without changing your design.

🔗 Learn more at www.corelis.com | 📞 Call us at (562) 926-6727

5 Common PCB Test Failures JTAG Can Detect

How Boundary Scan Technology Uncovers Hidden Faults in Modern Electronics

In the ever-shrinking world of electronics, traditional test methods like bed-of-nails and flying probes often struggle to keep up, especially with densely packed printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) using ball-grid-array (BGA) packaged components with limited test point access. That’s where JTAG boundary-scan comes in. Based on IEEE‑1149.x standards, JTAG allows direct digital control over pins and logic blocks, making it an essential tool for finding faults that other systems miss.

Here are five common test failures that JTAG can not only detect but often diagnose faster and more precisely.

Opens on Traces or Solder Joints

Whether caused by poor soldering, cracked vias, or design issues, open circuits can break connectivity between components, rendering entire sections of the board useless.

Corelis JTAG Advantage:
Boundary scan tools can drive signals through individual nets and detect broken paths, even beneath BGAs or inside multilayer PCB. By comparing expected vs. actual logic states, JTAG pinpoints the exact location of the break.

Unintentional Shorts

A solder bridge between adjacent nets or a design oversight can result in a short circuit, leading to malfunction or permanent damage when power is applied.

Corelis JTAG Advantage:
Using EXTEST mode, JTAG applies test vectors that isolate and identify shorted nets before powering up the board. This is critical for preventing costly rework or component failure.

Stuck-at Logic Faults

Sometimes a signal line gets stuck at a logical “1” or “0” due to a faulty buffer, damaged pin, or short to power or ground. This can break data flow or cause erratic behavior in digital systems.

Corelis JTAG Advantage:
Boundary scan toggles each pin and verifies the expected transitions. A line that fails to respond properly is immediately flagged, enabling fast diagnosis and repair.

Incorrect or Missing Passive Components

A misplaced resistor, reversed diode, or in some cases even a missing capacitor can lead to critical circuit behavior issues, especially in analog-mixed or RF sections.

Corelis JTAG Advantage:
While not a full analog test system, JTAG can detect anomalies caused by incorrect or missing components in digital systems with pin-level logic analysis.

Broken or Misconfigured Scan Chains

Even the test infrastructure itself can fail, due to incorrect routing, missing pull resistors, or misidentified devices.

Corelis JTAG Advantage:
Corelis boundary scan tools include chain validation and auto-diagnostics, allowing you to quickly detect faults in the scan path, TAP controller, or TDI/TDO connections.

Why Corelis?

If you’re looking to implement boundary scan testing in your development or production workflow, Corelis offers one of the most advanced solutions on the market. As a pioneer in JTAG technology, Corelis provides:

• Turnkey hardware/software test systems

• Seamless integration with ICT, flying probe, and functional testers

• Support for the latest IEEE 1149.x standards

• Intuitive GUI-based test creation, execution, and fault analysis

Corelis tools are trusted by industry leaders in aerospace, defense, automotive, and high-tech manufacturing—helping teams reduce debug time, improve test coverage, and lower cost-of-failure.

👉 Learn more at www.corelis.com or request a demo to see how Corelis can enhance your PCB test strategy.