What ABI Electronics does

ABI Electronics Limited is a privately held UK manufacturer founded in 1983, headquartered in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, that designs and builds electronic test, measurement, and fault-diagnosis equipment with direct applications in R&D, repair, manufacture, and education. The company's core platform is the SYSTEM 8 Ultimate software (v4.0 released April 2026) controlling a modular hardware ecosystem — flagship BoardMaster 19" rack and external case systems, plus modules including the Advanced Test Module (ATM), Advanced Matrix Scanner (AMS), Analogue IC Tester (AICT), Board Fault Locator (BFL), and Programmable Power Supply (PPS), with the SYSTEM 8 MMS multiplexed matrix switch and SmartSwitch programmable interface as auxiliary options. Specialized products include the SENTRY Counterfeit IC Detector (PinPrint electrical signature measurement), RevEng schematic-learning system (PCB reverse engineering), JTAGMaster boundary-scan tester, and the Compact Professional handheld range (ChipMaster and LinearMaster). Differentiated IP centers on the TestFlow Manager methodology, which records step-by-step test procedures with embedded schematics and instructions so semi-skilled operators can execute complex board-level diagnostics.

The company serves mission-critical industrial buyers across defense, transportation/rail, aerospace, and general industrial manufacturing — explicit logos include the UK Ministry of Defence, U.S. Army National Guard, Lockheed Martin, Collins Aerospace, Metrô São Paulo, Irish Rail, Thyssenkrupp ITS Manchester, and VLT Carioca. ABI monetizes through one-time hardware sales (compact units at £830-£870; BoardMaster-class systems at quote-based pricing in the tens of thousands USD), accessories and clip/probe adapters, Contract Electronics Manufacturing (CEM) services for UK and Irish customers (materials procurement through logistics), training services, and software (PremierLink and CompactLink library development tools with free lifetime SYSTEM 8 software updates for existing users). Go-to-market combines a 60+ global distributor network covering six continents, direct enterprise sales to blue-chip and government buyers, an own-storefront e-commerce channel, presence at industry trade shows (DSEI, InnoTrans, Productronica, APTA, DEFEA, Electronica), and a 2023 entry onto the Airbus Satair aerospace marketplace. The company separately sponsors the Repair, Don't Waste sustainability movement and its RepairDontWaste.com platform launched February 2022. ABI holds ISO 9001:2015 certification, was named a UK Government Export Champion and Northern Powerhouse Export Champion in 2019, and operates with 11-50 employees as a founder-owned entity without external venture capital or private equity investment.

Name

ABI Electronics

Legal name

ABI Electronics Limited

Website

https://abielectronics.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ABI Electronics Limited is a UK-based (Barnsley) manufacturer, founded 1983, of proprietary PCB fault-diagnosis test equipment and software under the BoardMaster and SYSTEM 8 platforms, serving defense, transportation, aerospace, and industrial customers across six continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronic Test and Measurement Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing (334418)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Printed Circuit Boards (3672)

akta.pro primary industry

PCB Assembly (PCBA/EMS) (HDAHAOAI)

Keywords

• PCB fault diagnosis equipment
• Electronic test measurement systems
• Contract electronics manufacturing
• Boundary scan JTAG testing
• Counterfeit IC detection

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Test & Measurement Equipment Sales: Sale of hardware systems including BoardMaster 19" Rack, BoardMaster chassis solutions, SYSTEM 8 modules, Compact Professional range (ChipMaster, LinearMaster), SENTRY counterfeit detectors, and JTAGMaster. Products sold with SYSTEM 8 Ultimate software included.
2. Contract Electronics Manufacturing (CEM): PCB assembly services from prototype to medium volume batches, including materials procurement, SMT assembly, box build, testing, and third-party logistics for UK and Irish customers.
3. Software Licensing: PremierLink and CompactLink software for creating functional IC test programs. SYSTEM 8 Ultimate software updates provided free of charge to existing customers.
4. Accessories and Adapters: Sale of test clips, probes, out-of-circuit adapters, external cases, and customized solutions for various IC package types.
5. Training Services: Tailored training courses delivered at ABI premises in UK or on-site, covering basic to advanced levels. Training boards and packages available for self-study.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ABI Electronics designs, manufactures, and sells modular test and measurement equipment for diagnosing and repairing printed circuit boards (PCBs), anchored by the BoardMaster universal diagnostic system and the SYSTEM 8 Ultimate software platform. The company also offers Contract Electronics Manufacturing (CEM) services covering PCB assembly, prototyping, materials procurement, and box build for UK and Irish customers, and provides training, accessories, and lifetime software updates to its installed base.

Product overview

ABI Electronics offers a modular test and measurement ecosystem centered on the SYSTEM 8 Ultimate software platform, which controls a range of hardware modules and instruments. The core product is the BoardMaster (available as 19-inch rack solution or external case), a comprehensive PCB diagnostic system. Supporting modules include AICT (analogue IC tester), ATM (advanced test module for digital ICs), BFL (board fault locator), AMS (advanced matrix scanner for V-I testing), MIS4 (virtual instrumentation module with 8 instruments), and PPS (programmable power supply). The standalone instruments include RevEng for schematic generation, SENTRY for counterfeit detection, and JTAGMaster for boundary scan testing. The compact professional range (ChipMaster and LinearMaster) provides portable out-of-circuit testing. PremierLink and CompactLink enable library development. Accessories, training packages, and Contract Electronics Manufacturing services complete the offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BoardMaster: The flagship product line - a versatile, self-contained, and easy-to-use test system for fault-finding on PCBs. Includes BoardMaster 8000 PLUS and BoardMaster Solution variants.
• SYSTEM 8
• RevEng
• SENTRY
• JTAGMaster
• CompactLink and PremierLink
• Repair, Don't Waste

Products and services

• BoardMaster 19" Rack Universal PCB diagnostic system in a standalone 19-inch rack configuration with integrated PC, offering comprehensive test instruments for fault-finding including digital/analogue functional testing, V-I testing, and programmable power supply.
• BoardMaster Solution (External Case) Versatile, self-contained test system for fault-finding on PCBs via USB connection to standard Windows desktops or laptops, customizable with the full range of SYSTEM 8 instruments.
• RevEng Schematic Learning System System for creating professional circuit diagrams from PCB samples using clips, connectors and probes, generating netlists for import into EdWin XP CAD software for reverse engineering applications.
• SENTRY Counterfeit IC Detector Quick detection solution for counterfeit ICs using PinPrint technology to measure unique electrical signatures of components and compare known good devices against suspect components, identifying missing dies, bond wire issues, and pin impedance variations.
• JTAGMaster Boundary Scan Tester and Programmer Fully integrated solution for testing and programming programmable logic devices using boundary scan to observe pins and determine functionality, supporting JTAG/IEEE 1149.1 compliant devices including QFPs and BGAs.
• ChipMaster Compact Professional Low-cost, hand-held out-of-circuit digital IC tester with up to 40-pin ZIF socket testing capability, including search facility for unknown ICs, loop modes for intermittent failure detection, and optional programming via CompactLink software.
• LinearMaster Compact Professional Hand-held out-of-circuit analogue IC tester supporting devices with up to 16 pins through ZIF socket, featuring search capability for unknown ICs and diagnostic information for individual pins.
• SYSTEM 8 Ultimate Software Platform Core software platform for all SYSTEM 8 modules featuring TestFlow Manager for step-by-step test procedures, reporting functions, and user access management.
• SYSTEM 8 Multiplexed Matrix Switch (MMS) 16x16 matrix interface offering 256 cross points to connect any channel to any channel, functioning as multiplexer or de-multiplexer for automating low to medium volume test requirements.
• SYSTEM 8 SmartSwitch Fully programmable 2-channel USB interface enabling operation of triggering mechanisms (foot/hand switches, safety buttons, sensors) with configurable actions through SYSTEM 8 Ultimate software.
• SYSTEM 8 Analogue IC Tester (AICT) In-circuit analogue functional tester capable of testing common analogue ICs and discrete devices, with power-off V-I test technique capability and optional out-of-circuit adapter.
• PremierLink Library Development Software PC-based library development software allowing users to add new devices to the library, select test varieties, and create functional tests using PLIP high-level descriptive test programming language for SYSTEM 8 product range.
• CompactLink Library Development Software Library development software for Compact Professional range enabling users to add new devices and create functional tests, with RS-232 link for software updates.
• ABI Training Courses and Training Boards Tailored training courses delivered at ABI premises in UK or on-site, covering basic to advanced levels, with bespoke training boards and full training guides for self-study.
• ABI Accessories (Test Clips, Probes, Adapters) Range of accessories including EZ Prober, MultiProbe, PenProbe sets, DIL test clips, out-of-circuit adapters (SOIC, PLCC), QFP cable assemblies, and external cases for use with ABI test systems.
• Contract Electronics Manufacturing (CEM) Full-service contract electronics manufacturing including materials procurement, automated and manual assembly, cable assembly, design for manufacture, testing, inspection, repair, prototyping, and third-party logistics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Metrô São Paulo saved over US$50 million in 5 years using BoardMaster and RevEng systems
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Airbus Satair MarketplacecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023ABI Electronics joined Airbus' marketplace Satair for aerospace sector distribution, enabling direct access to aerospace customers through Airbus' procurement channels.
• RepairDontWaste.com MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2022ABI Electronics created and sponsors the Repair, Don't Waste movement and its flagship website repairdontwaste.com launched in February 2022. The movement promotes repair-first approaches in industrial businesses and educates industry professionals about PCB repair options. Multiple international organizations including Collins Aerospace and Schindler have embraced the movement.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fluke Corporation: Industrial test and measurement brand with handheld multimeters and diagnostic tools, comparable to ABI's ChipMaster and LinearMaster hand-held IC testers in industrial and field-service applications.
• Keysight Technologies: Global leader in electronic test and measurement instrumentation with a broad portfolio (oscilloscopes, signal analyzers, ICT) that overlaps ABI's V-I signature analysis and functional test capabilities at the high end of the market.
• Teradyne: Large semiconductor and electronics test company whose in-circuit test (ICT) portfolio competes with ABI's BoardMaster diagnostic systems in high-volume PCB manufacturing.
• Hioki E.E. Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of electrical measurement instruments including IC testers and circuit board diagnostic equipment, directly comparable to ABI's compact professional and SYSTEM 8 product lines.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Major European test and measurement incumbent offering oscilloscopes, power analyzers, and EMI test equipment that overlaps with ABI's electronic measurement and diagnostic instrumentation offerings.

Direct peers

• JTAG Technologies: Specialist in boundary scan testing and in-system programming for PCBs, closely overlapping ABI's JTAGMaster and BoardMaster fault diagnosis offerings for industrial and aerospace customers.
• CheckSum: Manufacturer of in-circuit test (ICT) systems and bed-of-nails fixtures for PCB assembly testing, directly comparable to ABI's BoardMaster and SYSTEM 8 in-circuit test modules for contract electronics manufacturers.
• Polar Instruments: Specializes in PCB test, controlled impedance measurement, and signal integrity tools for PCB fabrication and assembly, overlapping with ABI's test and measurement focus on electronics manufacturing.
• Seica: Provides flying probe testers and functional test solutions for bare and assembled PCBs, competing with ABI's BoardMaster and RevEng systems in the fault diagnosis and reverse engineering segment.

Regional players

• Test Research Inc. (TRI): Taiwan-based manufacturer of automated optical inspection, X-ray, and in-circuit test systems for PCB assembly, offering overlapping test capabilities to ABI in Asian contract manufacturing markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ABI_Electronics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ABIElectronics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abi-electronics-ltd

Compliance1 record

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 ABI Electronics