Charlie has been greeting a customer at a family-owned pump service business for 41 years, showing the business's commitment to both employees and customers. The encounter reminded the customer of the history of semiconductor testing from research labs to mass production, which began around the same time Charlie started at the pump business in the late 1970s. The customer pondered what semiconductor testing equipment may look like 70 years in the future, guessing it will be an open modular platform controlled by graphical software.

1. Today I picked up my pump. I’ve been a customer since 1988. Great example of a family-owned business taking care of employees
while taking care of business. “Charlie” said hi to me – just as he’s been doing for 41 years (the appreciation banner is 2 years old).
This encounter got me to thinking about Semiconductor Test, NPI between Lab  Production Test. Amazing that “Charlie” was working
the pump service desk before Jack Kilby (TI), Kurt Lehovec (Sprague), Robert Noyce (Fairchild) & Jean Hoerni (Shockley) helped invent
the Integrated Circuit.
I wonder what Semiconductor ATE will look like in 70 years? My guess - an open modular platform based on graphical software 