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1. PCBA processing technology has matured significantly, finding a wide array of applications and playing a crucial role in today’s intelligent devices.

2. To ensure the circuit board functions as intended, both hardware and complementary software support are essential.

3. This raises the question: how can the program be executed through the IC, and how is it effectively “transferred” into the chip?

4. Many may have already guessed the answer: it is referred to as “burning.”

5. Burning is the process of transferring the program into the chip’s internal storage, typically categorized into offline and online burning methods.

### Offline Burning

Compatible with various packaged chips through different adapters, programming can only be performed when the chip and adapter are used together. The adapter serves as a precision fixture, with each chip and package type requiring its own specific adapter. Currently, the packaging for widely-used chips like eMMC is evolving towards miniaturization and planarization, utilizing formats such as BGA and QFN, which often come with a high price tag for their corresponding adapters.

If an error occurs during production testing, correcting it necessitates removing the chip from the adapter and reprogramming it according to established procedures, which is both time-consuming and costly. Unexpected issues may arise during PCB processing, such as inadequate temperature resistance of the circuit board, potentially causing chip deformation upon removal, which further increases the risk of scrap.

### Online Burning

Online programming utilizes the chip’s standard communication buses, including USB, SWD, JTAG, UART, etc. The interface is generally fixed, requiring fewer pins to connect during programming. Since the communication rate is not particularly high, programming can be accomplished using standard wires without excessive power consumption.

Due to the wire connection used in online programming, if an error is detected during production testing, the faulty PCBA can be immediately traced back, allowing for reprogramming without needing to disassemble the chip. This approach not only reduces production costs but also enhances programming efficiency.

More importantly, production lines are increasingly moving toward automation. A growing number of manufacturers are incorporating ICT, FCT, and other functional testing machines into their production processes. This means that the use of automatic fixtures and online programming can streamline the programming phase. Manual operations can be minimized; the board can be burned directly after mounting, and then sent to the testing machine for evaluation. This fully automated production process significantly boosts production efficiency.

In conclusion, the benefits of online programming in PCBA processing are considerable, making it a key metric for assessing process accuracy, production efficiency, cost, quality control, scalability, and capital for PCBA manufacturers.