What XJTAG does

XJTAG Limited is a Cambridge, UK-based private company (founded 2003, 11–50 employees) that develops JTAG boundary-scan hardware and software tools used by electronics engineers to debug, test, and program printed circuit board assemblies. The core technology is built around IEEE Std 1149.x boundary scan, augmented by XJTAG's proprietary XJEase high-level scripting language and a library of pre-written tests for thousands of JTAG and non-JTAG components. The product portfolio spans the development environment (XJDeveloper, XJDeveloper Plus), the production runtime (XJRunner), a repair/rework station (XJInvestigator), analysis tools (XJAnalyser, XJFlash, XJDirect, XJAccelerator), and a hardware controller family (XJLink2, XJQuad, XJLink-PF40, PXI-XJLink2, plus ICT-specific variants XJLink2-3030 and XJLink2-3070). Customer outcomes documented in the input include 30%+ test coverage gains, 50–60% test time reductions, and flash programming acceleration up to 50x.

XJTAG sells to design engineers, test engineers, and contract manufacturers in verticals including aerospace and defense (TUBITAK UZAY satellite boards, Sat-Com military radios), automotive and rail (Eaton, Life Elettronica), semiconductors (ARM, CSR/Qualcomm), payment terminals (Worldline/Atos), RF and surveillance (CRFS, Cathexis), and network security (Seclab). The business model combines software licensing (XJDeveloper/XJRunner and modules), hardware controller sales, a broad accessories line (XJIO, XJComms, XJExtender, XJXDP, XJIsolator), and professional services (test development consultancy, DFT review, BSDL verification, ICT fixture design). Pricing is quote-based; a 30-day free trial and a self-service e-commerce shop sit alongside an enterprise direct-sales motion and a network of more than 50 distributors and technology partners worldwide.

XJTAG is a subsidiary of Cambridge Technology Group, led by CEO Simon Payne. The company has no disclosed external funding rounds and has reached 'several million dollars' in worldwide revenue after 22 years of self-funded operations. Its competitive position rests on the proprietary XJEase language, a deep integration footprint with Altium, National Instruments, SPEA, and Keysight, and a vertically-organized sales motion that has produced 100+ public case studies across all major geographic regions.

Name

XJTAG

Legal name

XJTAG Limited

Website

https://xjtag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: XJTAG generates revenue primarily through software licensing. Multiple software packages are available including XJRunner (runtime environment), XJDeveloper (development environment), XJDeveloper Plus (advanced IDE), XJInvestigator (repair station), and XJAnalyser. Software is offered with various licensing options including network licensing for multi-user deployments.
2. Hardware Controllers: Sale of JTAG boundary scan controller hardware including XJLink2, XJQuad, XJLink-PF40, and PXI-XJLink2. These are the physical interfaces that connect to units under test.
3. Accessories and Add-ons: Sale of test extension hardware including XJIO boards, XJComms, XJAccelerator, XJExtender, XJXDP, XJIsolator, ICT boards, adapters (SOP8, Xilinx, CoreSight), splitter boards, and protection boards.
4. Professional Services: Turnkey JTAG test solutions, ICT fixture design, custom component test development (XJEase files), processor-emulated test programming, functional testing development, custom application development, DFT review, and BSDL verification services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

XJTAG develops and sells JTAG boundary scan hardware controllers (e.g. XJLink2, XJQuad, PXI-XJLink2) and proprietary software tools (XJDeveloper, XJDeveloper Plus, XJRunner, XJInvestigator, XJAnalyser, XJFlash) for debugging, testing, and in-system programming of complex electronic circuit boards. The platform covers prototype bring-up, production-line testing, high-speed flash programming, and field-return diagnostics, and is sold to electronics manufacturers via direct sales and a global distributor network.

Product overview

XJTAG offers a comprehensive JTAG boundary scan testing platform with both software and hardware products. The software portfolio includes XJDeveloper (full development environment), XJDeveloper Plus (advanced IDE with XJAnalyser and XJFlash modules), XJRunner (runtime manufacturing test environment), and XJInvestigator (production repair station). The hardware lineup features USB JTAG controllers including XJLink2, XJQuad (4-port for parallel testing), XJLink-PF40, and PXI-based controllers, plus specialized controllers for SPEA and Keysight ICT machines. Accessories include test extension boards (XJIO, XJComms), programming accelerators (XJAccelerator), signal integrity extenders (XJExtender), and various adapters. The system enables PCB testing, debugging, and in-system flash programming using IEEE 1149.x JTAG boundary scan technology, supporting both JTAG and non-JTAG devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• XJRunner Runtime manufacturing test and programming environment that diagnoses and locates board faults quickly with high test coverage, fast test execution and shorter test cycles. Includes in-system programming, supports parallel multi-board testing, and integrates with automated production systems.
• XJDeveloper Full integrated development environment for test development, programming setup, debugging, and test coverage analysis on high-density electronics, with an extensive library of tests for JTAG and non-JTAG components.
• XJDeveloper Plus Advanced IDE bundling XJDeveloper capabilities with the XJAnalyser and XJFlash modules, including graphical board debug with point-and-click pin control, waveform viewer, and FPGA-based high-speed flash programming exceeding 30 MB/s.
• XJAnalyser Graphical JTAG analysis and debug tool with in-system programming support for SVF/STAPL/JAM files and a simple 4-step setup wizard for prototyping and debug.
• XJInvestigator Production repair/rework station providing pin-by-pin control of BGA and fine-pitch components in real time for manufacturing fault diagnostics and rework.
• XJFlash FPGA-based high-speed flash programming module that achieves flash programming speeds up to 50x faster than conventional boundary scan by configuring the target board's FPGA as a flash programmer.
• XJLink2 USB JTAG controller with 4 TAPs connecting to one unit under test, 18 I/O pins, 2 voltage ranges, configurable JTAG port, and a lightweight portable design.
• XJQuad 4-port USB JTAG controller for serial manufacturing testing, capable of testing up to 4 units under test simultaneously with up to 4 TAPs per unit.
• XJLink-PF40 USB JTAG controller with 8 TAPs connecting to one unit under test, 40 I/O pins including TAP pins, 4 voltage ranges, configurable TAP frequencies, and ±30V protection.
• PXI-XJLink2 PXI JTAG controller that fits in a PXI rack for LabVIEW, LabWindows, or TestStand integration, XJLink2-compatible.
• XJLink2-3030 JTAG controller specifically designed for SPEA 3030 ICT machines, enabling boundary scan integration with bed-of-nails testing.
• XJLink2-3070 JTAG controller specifically designed for Keysight (Agilent) i3070 ICT machines, enabling boundary scan integration with Keysight in-circuit test systems.
• XJIO Board Test extension unit improving test coverage with 208 I/O, 8 A/D and 8 D/A channels, buttons, LEDs, and optional RS-232/UART.
• XJComms Extension to XJIO boards providing a test solution for common automotive interface signals including CAN, RS-485/RS-422, FlexRay, and LIN.
• XJAccelerator Multipurpose FPGA module that accelerates programming functions and extends test coverage as part of a test adapter, available in standard and SODIMM form factors.
• XJExtender Solution for overcoming signal integrity problems when connecting a JTAG controller to a device under test at distances up to 10m, including Controller and Target units.
• Test Development Consultancy Turnkey JTAG test solutions where XJTAG engineers create a complete boundary scan test setup from the customer's board data.
• ICT Test Fixture Design Consultancy for developing and building production test adapters that integrate JTAG boundary scan with bed-of-nails testing.
• Custom Component Test Development Custom XJEase component file development for components not in the XJTAG standard library.
• DFT Review Design-for-Test review that examines customer designs for testability and provides improvement suggestions to optimize test coverage.
• BSDL Verification Service ensuring the syntax and semantics of BSDL files are correct and match the boundary scan implementation in the chips.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% higher test coverage, 60% lower test hardware costs, 50% faster test cycle time
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core and minor.

• Logic TechnologyregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmbedded development consultant and XJTAG distributor in Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg). Provided test-development expertise and support to Worldline for their boundary scan implementation.
• ASIC Design ServicesregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorXJTAG distributor for Southern Africa. Provided training and support to Sat-Com engineers for military radio board testing implementation.
• AltiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration to integrate XJTAG DFT features into Altium Designer. XJTAG DFT Assistant for Altium Designer includes Chain Checker and Access Viewer, checking boundary scan chain implementation during schematic capture without leaving the design environment.
• National InstrumentscoreTechnology or IntegrationXJTAG provides .NET API and Virtual Instruments for LabVIEW integration. Worldline integrated XJRunner with custom test stations based on National Instruments LabVIEW. Also integrates with NI TestStand.
• SPEAcoreTechnology or IntegrationXJTAG integrates with SPEA ICT machines including SPEA 3030 bed-of-nails tester and SPEA 4060 flying probe machine. XJLink2-3030 is specifically designed for SPEA 3030 ICT machines.
• KeysightcoreTechnology or IntegrationXJLink2-3070 JTAG controller designed specifically for Keysight (formerly Agilent) i3070 ICT machines, enabling boundary scan integration with Keysight test systems.
• Worldline Value Added Reseller NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorldline extends XJTAG usage throughout its global VAR network, allowing VARs to test or re-flash boards locally and save time and costs of returning boards to Belgium.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JTAG Technologies: JTAG Technologies is the most direct head-to-head peer: a specialist supplier of JTAG/boundary-scan development systems, production testers, and in-system programming tools for PCB testing — virtually identical product category and customer base to XJTAG.
• Corelis: Corelis offers JTAG boundary-scan hardware and software (including the ScanExpress family) used for board-level testing, in-system programming, and JTAG emulation — directly competing with XJTAG's XJDeveloper/XJRunner stack in embedded test engineering.
• ASSET InterTech (Amentum): ASSET InterTech provides boundary-scan and JTAG-based test and debug tools (ScanWorks) with deep chip vendor collaborations; competes with XJTAG in the same boundary-scan testing niche for complex electronics.
• GOEPEL electronic: GOEPEL electronic offers JTAG/boundary-scan tools, JTAG controllers, and embedded test solutions for production and development; a Europe-based specialist peer with directly comparable offerings to XJTAG.
• Acculogic: Acculogic supplies flying-probe ICT systems and boundary-scan integration tools (including the Scan Pathfinder line), competing with XJTAG on production test and JTAG integration, though more concentrated in North American markets.

Broad incumbents

• Keysight Technologies: Keysight is a broad incumbent in electronic test & measurement; it produces the i3070 ICT platform that XJTAG's XJLink2-3070 integrates with. As an incumbent with portfolio overlap, Keysight represents an enterprise buyer and potential competitor across the broader PCB test stack.
• National Instruments (NI): NI's LabVIEW and TestStand are the dominant test-automation platforms XJTAG integrates with. As a broad electronic test incumbent, NI is both an integration partner and an adjacent competitor in PCBA test workflows.
• SPEA: SPEA produces automated test equipment including the SPEA 3030 bed-of-nails and 4060 flying-probe machines that XJTAG's XJLink2-3030 integrates with. SPEA is a broad ICT incumbent with overlapping test capability rather than a pure boundary-scan specialist.

Others

• Altium: Altium Designer is the PCB design platform in which XJTAG's DFT Assistant (Chain Checker, Access Viewer) is embedded. Altium is an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a tester, but the integration makes it a strategically critical partner for XJTAG's DFT pipeline.

Emerging players

• Teradyne: Teradyne is an emerging player in the production test space via its acquisition of Universal Robots-adjacent industrial automation assets and expansion into board-test; relevant as a broader PCBA test incumbent watching boundary-scan segments like XJTAG's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/xjtag
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/XJTAGBoundaryScan
• Facebookfacebook.com/XJTAG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xjtag

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about XJTAG