Siemens announced it has acquired ASTER Technologies, a privately held provider of printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) test verification and engineering software, aiming to tighten the connection between PCB design and downstream manufacturing and test workflows.
The deal integrates ASTER’s “shift-left” design-for-test (DFT) capabilities into Siemens’ Xpedition and Valor software portfolios within the Siemens Xcelerator suite. Siemens said the combined offering will help electronics teams plan and validate test strategies earlier in the PCB assembly manufacturing process, with the goal of catching defects sooner, reducing re-spins and field failures, lowering costs, and shortening time-to-market.
Siemens positioned the acquisition as a response to rising electronics complexity, pointing to the growth of automotive electronics and broader 5G integration as drivers that increase the need for robust, standards-aligned test engineering. By embedding DFT and test coverage analysis within PCB design environments, Siemens said customers can establish a more continuous “digital thread” from design engineering through manufacturing execution.
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Cesson-Sévigné, France, ASTER has developed software tools for verifying, assembling, and testing PCB assemblies. Its portfolio includes design-for-manufacturing (DFM) physical verification for PCB fabrication and assembly, test coverage analysis, and tools to optimize test programming. Siemens highlighted ASTER’s flagship product, TestWay, as a key addition for DFT planning and implementation that complements Siemens’ existing Valor capabilities for fabrication and assembly.
Siemens said ASTER’s tools are commonly used in complex, high-end designs across computing and high-performance computing, automotive, and networking—segments where efficient, cost-effective test strategies are critical. The acquisition is intended to broaden Siemens’ DFM scope by pairing manufacturability checks with earlier test strategy optimization inside the same workflow.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
KEY QUOTES:
“A game-changer for our customers in the PCB design and manufacturing space.”
“Optimize designs much earlier in the design cycle… reduce costs… accelerate time-to-market… ensure the highest levels of product quality.”
AJ Incorvaia, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Electronic Board Systems, Siemens Digital Industries Software
“Helping engineers create flawless PCB designs through advanced test coverage analysis.”
“An opportunity to integrate our expertise into a broader, industry-leading portfolio… reach more customers… contribute to an integrated digital thread.”
Christophe Lotz, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ASTER Technologies
