Short Take: Agilent, Syntest team on chip testing

Chip-testing firms Agilent Technologies and SynTest Technologies have agreed to work together to provide chip design consulting services. SynTest will initially work with Agilent customers as they design chips with multiple functions, saving them money and time by allowing the functions to be tested concurrently instead of sequentially. "Manufacturers are integrating more functions on each chip," said Tom Newsom, vice president and general manager of Agilent's SOC (system on a chip) unit. "Testing functional blocks...concurrently will shorten the test time dramatically, thus representing a significant breakthrough in the overall cost of testing."