A test system for a circuit board , wherein the circuit board has a plurality of cores such that at least one of the plurality of cores is adapted to use a test protocol independent of a communication fabric used in the circuit board. A system-on-chip (SOC) with an embedded test protocol architecture, the SOC comprising at least one embedded core, a communication fabric that connects at least one embedded core, at least one test server; and at least one test client connected to said at least one embedded core and connected to the communication fabric.