A unit and a method of programming mounted programmable memories by a programming boundary scan component/unit being directly coupled to the programmable memory and directly coupled to a boundary scan test system. Directly coupling the memory to the programming boundary scan component Thereby eliminates having to serially clock information to and from the programmable memory through a number of other boundary scan components/units. The drive routines for programming the programmable memory by means of a boundary scan test system only needs to be modified as to the length of the serial boundary scan cell chain.