LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA - March 14, 2000 - Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE:TER) Teradyne introduced its new Optima 7300™ Post-Reflow Automated Inspection System at the APEX trade show here this week. The Optima 7300 is the first in a new series of next-generation Automated Optical Inspection systems that will be available from Teradyne in 2000.

The Optima 7000™-Series systems are designed for high-volume, high-density circuit board inspection applications where throughput and repeatability are critical. "Inspection speed, full defect coverage, and low false fail rates are the key requirements for all stages of automatic circuit-board inspection," said Iqbal Syed, Product Manager. "We have engineered the 7000-Series to provide uncompromised performance for all SMT inspection applications."

The Optima 7300 Post-Reflow AOI System
The Optima 7300 represents the highest throughput Post-Reflow AOI system available today. A single Optima 7300 Post-Reflow system can inspect the largest, highest-density boards while matching the line beat rate. For example, on a typical PC motherboard, the 7300 can inspect up to 250 units per hour including handling and diagnosis.

The 7300 focuses on Post-Reflow inspection, the optimal location to validate solder joint integrity and pre-screen boards before electrical test. The advantage of this strategy is to increase next-stage yield at in-circuit test and improve quality. The Optima 7300 reduces capital equipment costs for post-reflow inspection by matching line beat rates using a single system vs. multiple systems. Optima 7300 systems also reduce ongoing operational costs by minimizing false fail rates, which create the need for unnecessary rework stations and staff.

The Optima 7300 Post-Reflow AOI System delivers "copy exactly" capability for customers requiring support on multiple maufacturing lines or sites. Copy exactly capability allows users to directly maintain a single AOI program and deploy it across multiple AOI systems, while eliminating the need to create a unique program for each system in order to achieve repeatable results.

The Optima 7300 Post-Reflow system employs a patented configuration of vertical and angled cameras combined with a structured illumination system via a proprietary LED lighting system. The Optima 7300 system incorporates Teradyne's TenPhase? image-acquisition system, which captures 10 images, each with a unique and dedicated lighting mode, for each field-of-view without impacting throughput or accuracy. Images from the TenPhase system is directly loaded into PCU memory, eliminating memory bus bottlenecks. By providing optimized lighting for each image the 7300 also significantly reduces false fail rates (the rate at which good parts and joints are wrongly indicted) common among modern-day AOI systems. The 7300 system reduces false fail rates (to less than 2% on a PC motherboard), reducing unnecessary repairs, the load on the repair loop, and work-in-process inventory. Optima 7300 systems deliver their high speed capabilities while also delivering 100% defect coverage for a wide class of solder and component defects, minimizing latent assembly defects and escapes that are passed on to later assembly and test stations. Optima 7300 Post-Reflow systems detect process errors such as solder bridges and shorts, tombstoned components, lifted leads, insufficient solder, skewed components, unclipped leads, missing components, and misaligned solder paste.

Teradyne announced multiple orders for Optima 7300 systems had been placed from several customers prior to the introduction of the system at APEX.

Productivity-Enhancing Software

Teradyne's Optima 7300 Post-Reflow AOI System features a simple, easy to use graphical program development environment, with integrated optimization and verification tools, permitting rapid development of high-coverage inspection programs. All program development is done within one environment. Productivity-enhancing tools such as a program development wizard, and model libraries reduce program development time. Optional Statistical Process Control and repair-station software packages identify problem areas in board production, facilitating yield improvement and rapid board repair.

Pricing and Availability

North American pricing for Teradyne's Optima 7300 Post-Reflow Automated Optical Inspection System begins at around $200,000. Prices outside North America will vary. Shipments of the system are scheduled to begin in June 2000.

About Teradyne

Teradyne is the world's leading automated testing company for the electronics, communications, and software industries. Its products and services address the test requirements of a broad range of semiconductors, electronic assemblies, telephone access networks and software applications. Teradyne supports its customers via a global service and applications engineering network, with technical centers located throughout the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Rim.

The Assembly Test Division, located in Boston and Walnut Creek, California, serves circuit-board test customers with comprehensive capabilities in test and inspection. These test instruments and systems are used in commercial environments and in military/aerospace applications where reliability, time-to-market, and in-line process test are key to success. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Teradyne reported sales of approximately $1.8 billion in 1999 and currently has about 7500 employees worldwide. Teradyne's World Wide Web address is www.teradyne.com.