Next generation graphical development environment for test

Abstract

This paper discusses the client/server based Test Program Set (TPS) development environment that provides Automatic Test Equipment (ATE)/Unit Under Test (UUT) signal-based modeling coupled with a graphical programming environment. The model and programming information is stored in an SQL database with OLE DB connectivity. The ATE/UUT modeling defines the ATE capabilities and UUT signal requirements using a signal description methodology. This approach provides for a signal-based compatibility analysis to be performed and allows for asset matching to aid in ATE resource allocation by the engineer. The graphical development environment is a revolutionary new object-oriented approach to test program generation. It supports multi-language development including ATLAS dialects and National Instruments/sup TM/LabView/sup TM/ and LabWindows/sup TM//CVI compatible ANSI C within a single environment. It also provides support for end-user language customization and extension via ActiveX technology. The extendable syntax objects provide an iconic representation of the program structure and now. Define test implementations, variable declarations loop/branch constructs, function/procedure definitions and more. Code reusability is supported by the syntax objects via the syntax object library. With this multi-lingual graphical environment, a software framework is built instead of writing a linear text-based program. The program now is specified in a flowchart-like view of the test program where syntax icons are selected from a toolbox and are interconnected on a sequence line. This intuitive design platform frees the programmer from working out the many syntactical details of conventional programming. Because this environment dramatically reduces the time required to develop test programs, users experience a substantial productivity gain. This results from ease of use, as well as simplified code maintenance and reuse.