Guide · AccoTEST
STS8600, STS8300 or STS8200 CROSS? Matching AccoTEST Platforms to Your Device
Three platform families, three kinds of device. How to tell which AccoTEST tester fits yours, and what an evaluation in the Philippines looks like.
By John Eliel C. Baladjay, Business Operations Manager · · 4 min read
AccoTEST, made by Beijing Huafeng Test & Control Technology (STAR: 688200), has three platform families. The question I hear most from engineers is simple: which one is mine? The answer depends on the device, not on which tester is newest.
NXTREV is AccoTEST's authorized sales representative in the Philippines, so this is the conversation we have every week. Here is how it usually goes.
The short version
| If your device is… | Look at | Why | RFQ / Specs |
|---|---|---|---|
| An SoC, MCU, FPGA or wireless device with many high-speed pins | STS8600 | Over 2,000 analog channels, digital speed over 4,000 @ 1.6 Gbps, power delivery over 2,000A, 20 / 8 slot configurations | Inquire STS8600 → |
| A PMIC, smart power stage, IPD or battery-management device | STS8300 | All-in-one test head with 300–500+ analog channels and up to 32 parallel sites with hard docking | Inquire STS8300 → |
| A MOSFET, IGBT, SiC or GaN device, a power module or known good die | STS8200 CROSS | Up to 26 slots; the AXE-PLUS reaches 2000V / 2000A DC and 1200V / 18,000A short-circuit | Inquire STS8200 → |
Platform comparison
The same three platforms side by side. Every figure here comes from AccoTEST's published specs. Where AccoTEST does not publish a number, we leave it out rather than guess.
| STS8600 | STS8300 | STS8200 CROSS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | SoC, MCU, FPGA, wireless | PMIC, smart power stages, IPD, BMS | MOSFET, IGBT, SiC, GaN, power modules, KGD |
| Analog | Over 2,000 channels | 300–500+ channels in the test head | Configured by slot, up to 26 slots |
| Digital | Over 4,000 channels @ 1.6 Gbps | Digital resource modules | Digital I/O modules |
| Power | Over 2,000A delivery | Floating octal V/I source-measure modules | AXE-PLUS: 2000V / 2000A DC, 1200V / 18,000A short-circuit |
| Parallel test | Multi-site | Up to 32 sites, hard docking | Set by configuration |
| Test head | Liquid-cooled | All-in-one | AXE-PM, AXE-FET or AXE-PLUS configuration |
Will it dock to our prober or handler?
This is the question I get right after "which platform". AccoTEST testers support hard or soft docking, and the docking kit is chosen for your specific equipment. So tell us exactly what is on your floor, for example a TEL or ACCRETECH wafer prober, or a Chroma, Hontech or Multitest handler, with the model number. We confirm the docking hardware and the load board layout with AccoTEST before anything ships, not after the tester arrives.
Ask about a platform: STS8600, STS8300 or STS8200 CROSS.
STS8600: SoC and high-speed digital
The STS8600 uses a liquid-cooled test head for complex analog and high-speed digital pins, aimed at data centre, automotive and IoT devices. AccoTEST describes it as "One Platform for All" for high-pin-count processors, automotive microcontrollers and high-speed digital devices.
If most of your test time goes into digital patterns and you are running out of pins or speed on your current platform, start here.
STS8300: PMIC and mixed-signal
The STS8300 is built for parallel test. Its all-in-one test head runs up to 32 sites for PMICs, smart power stages, integrated passive devices and battery management devices.
The site count you actually run is usually set by the handler and the load board, not the tester. Before you plan around 32 sites, check how many sites your handler can present and whether your load board layout keeps every site within spec.
STS8200 CROSS: power discretes and modules
The STS8200 CROSS is a universal power discrete and module tester for wide-bandgap SiC and GaN, MOSFETs, IGBTs, known good die and automotive power bricks. It comes in three configurations:
- AXE-PM for power modules
- AXE-FET for GaN and SiC FETs
- AXE-PLUS, the universal configuration with the highest power envelope
Test programs are developed in open C++.
A recent example: a customer sent us the test plan for a new power package and asked whether the STS8200 already on their floor could handle it. AccoTEST's applications engineers reviewed it and confirmed the avalanche (UIS), DC and gate resistance tests were all within the machine's rated specs. The hardware answer was yes. The real lead time was the test program, because none existed yet for that device.
How an evaluation works
We have placed an AccoTEST evaluation tester at a Philippine OSAT, handling principal coordination, the free-zone shipment and on-site setup. From that experience, this is what to expect:
- You share the device and test plan. Under NDA if needed. The applications team checks every test against the platform's specs and tells you what the configuration needs.
- We agree the loan terms. A short loan agreement covers the unit, its condition, the duration and who is responsible for what. Your legal team will likely want to review it, so start early; this step took longer than the shipping.
- Permits and delivery. If your plant is inside an economic zone or freeport, the permit to bring the unit in is filed on your side. Our guide to bringing equipment into a PEZA or freeport zone covers what the permit needs.
- Setup on the day. An AccoTEST engineer comes with the delivery and sets up the tester, so it can start work the same week.
- Program development and correlation. For a new device, the team writes and debugs the program: optimization, spike checks, and correlation against your reference data. A manual socket helps here, because you can start correlating before the handler is docked.
A tip on timing: plan the evaluation around your own events and holidays. We once had to schedule a short pull-out mid-loan for an exhibition and bring the unit back afterwards. It worked, but only because everyone knew the dates weeks ahead.
Moving a device from another tester
Test program conversion means rebuilding your existing test flow on the new platform: same tests, same limits, new code and new hardware interface. The effort depends mostly on how well the original program is documented. A clean test plan with limits and conditions for every test makes it a straightforward job. A program that only exists as code on the old tester takes longer, because someone has to read it back into a test plan first.
Correlation is what decides whether the conversion is done: the same units, tested on both platforms, must agree within the limits you set up front.
Local support after installation
We provide factory-certified applications support for all three platforms, including test program conversion, pin-count feasibility and prober or handler docking integration. AccoTEST's own engineers in the region work with us on setup and training, so you have one local contact and a factory team behind it.
Questions engineers ask us
Can we evaluate an AccoTEST tester inside our PEZA or freeport plant?
Yes, and we have done it. The tester comes on loan under a short loan agreement, your side files the zone permit to bring it in, and an AccoTEST engineer sets it up on delivery. The PEZA and freeport guide lists the documents.
How long until the tester is on our floor?
For an evaluation, the paperwork usually takes longer than the delivery. On our last one, the loan agreement went through the customer's local counsel and then corporate legal, while the zone permit was filed in parallel. Start both early. For a production order, lead time depends on the configuration, and we confirm it in the quotation rather than promise a number here.
Who supports the tester after installation?
We are your local contact for applications support, test program conversion and docking. AccoTEST's engineers in the region work with us on setup and training, so there is a factory team behind every answer.
We run our devices on another tester today. How hard is moving them?
It depends mostly on how well your current program is documented. We rebuild the test plan, limits and pin map on the AccoTEST platform, then correlate the same units on both testers. STS8200 CROSS programs are written in open C++. Many plants start with devices from an older platform such as the ASL1000.