Programming and debug probe for creating fast, automated, massively parallel, and reliable test farms

Quality assurance requires testing, testing, and more testing. The J-Link PRO PoE makes automated mass testing simple as it has all the features of the J-Link PRO plus the ability to be powered via Ethernet. Power can be supplied to the target either via debug interface or a USB-A connector. 

The option to supply power over Ethernet makes power to the device very easy to control: it can be switched on and off remotely using J-Link software. This is suitable for power cycling and rebooting or for turning off devices not in use. 

In addition to controlling power, with a J-Link PRO PoE test farm it is possible to download firmware, run, debug, and test software on multiple devices simultaneously. Users can access devices from anywhere in the world using the J-Link Remote Server software or through remote access to the LAN, typically using a VPN tunnel.

“We engineered the J-Link PRO PoE especially for test farms running many target boards in parallel,” says Rolf Segger, founder of Segger. “These test farms can access the same hardware in different configurations or a variety of completely different boards and with a variety of toolchains. The Power-over-Ethernet feature replaces the power switch and the farm adapter, minimises the wiring requirement, and produces a very clean overall look. Testing new software is very easy with a well-designed test farm.”

The built-in web server makes manual configuration easy. Ethernet allows the use of the debug probe far away from the PC, providing electrical isolation.

A test farm is also an ideal setup for firmware CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery) whereby automated testing is integrated into the development process. Harnessing Jenkins, a source control system such as Git, and a J-Link-controlled test farm, source code changes by any engineer can be automatically tested with ease, and can simplify regression testing, patches, and release engineering.