Systems and methods for testing electronic devices using master-slave test architectures

• US 10,103,967 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Original Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Inventors: Huh, Ina, Tiwari, Rajeev, Ryu, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCallum, Latresa
• Application Number:
  US15/624,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A master test system may comprise cable modem termination systems, resource servers, provisioning/Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) servers, call management system (CMS) servers, Data over Cable Service Interface Specification/Wide Area Network (DOCSIS/WAN) servers, test controller servers, etc. Servers on the master test system may facilitate tests of devices under test (DUTs) coupled to the master test system. Servers on the master test system and/or slave test systems may facilitate tests of DUTs coupled to slave test systems that are coupled to the master test system. The slave test system(s) may comprise resource servers and test controller servers. In various implementations, the servers on the slave test system(s) may facilitate tests of DUTs coupled to the slave test system(s).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

gathering first identifiers of a first plurality of devices under test coupled to a master test system;

gathering second identifiers of a second plurality of devices under test coupled to a first slave test system coupled to the master test system;

identifying a shared test protocol, the shared test protocol providing a basis to test compliance of a functional parameter shared by the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test;

identifying a first resource test protocol, the first resource test protocol providing a basis to test compliance of a resource parameter of the first plurality of devices under test;

identifying a second resource test protocol, the second resource test protocol providing a basis to test compliance of a resource parameter of the second plurality of devices under test;

configuring a group of shared probes at the master test system to implement the shared test protocol on the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test;

configuring a first group of resource probes at the master test system to implement the first resource test protocol on the first plurality of devices under test; and

providing to the first slave test system instructions to configure a second group of resource probes at the first slave test system to implement the second resource test protocol on the second plurality of devices under test,

wherein the method is executed by the master test system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of devices under test are housed in a first plurality of test slots configured to protect the first plurality of test devices under test from electromagnetic interference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of devices under test are housed in a second plurality of test slots configured to protect the second plurality of test devices under test from electromagnetic interference.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

gathering third identifiers of a third plurality of devices under test coupled to a second slave test system;

identifying a third resource test protocol, the third resource test protocol providing a basis to test compliance of one or more resource parameters of the third plurality of devices under test;

configuring the group of shared probes at the master test system to implement the shared test protocol on the third plurality of devices under test; and

providing to the second slave test system instructions to configure a third group of resource probes at the second slave test system to implement the third resource test protocol on the third plurality of devices under test.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second slave test system is coupled to one or more of the master test system and the first slave test system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the devices under test comprise one or more of cable modems and embedded multimedia terminal adapters (eMTAs).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the group of shared probes comprises identifying one or more test probe containers corresponding to the group of shared probes, the one or more test probe containers comprising virtual representations of the group of shared probes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the first group of resource probes comprises identifying one or more test probe containers corresponding to the first group of resource probes, the one or more test probe containers comprising virtual representations of the first group of resource probes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the second group of resource probes comprises identifying one or more test probe containers corresponding to the second group of resource probes, the one or more test probe containers comprising virtual representations of the second group of resource probes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared test protocols comprise test protocols for testing:

cable modem termination system (CMTS) responses, provisioning/Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) responses, call management system (CMS) responses, and Data over Cable Service Interface Specification/Wide Area Network (DOCSIS/WAN) responses.

11. A system comprising:

a master test management server configured to gather first identifiers of a first plurality of devices under test coupled to a master test system, and to gather second identifiers of a second plurality of devices under test coupled to a first slave test system coupled to the master test system;

a shared test protocol server configured to identify shared test protocols, the shared test protocols providing a basis to test compliance of one or more shared functional parameters shared by the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test;

a resource identification server configured to identify first resource test protocols, the first resource test protocols providing a basis to test compliance of one or more resource parameters of the first plurality of devices under test, and to identify second resource test protocols, the second resource test protocols providing a basis to test compliance of one or more resource parameters of the second plurality of devices under test;

a master probe container configured to configure a group of shared probes at the master test system to implement the shared test protocols on the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test, and to configure a first group of resource probes at the master test system to implement the first resource test protocols on the first plurality of devices under test, wherein the master probe container is configured to identify one or more test probe containers corresponding to the group of shared probes, the one or more test probe containers comprising virtual representations of the group of shared probes; and

a slave test system control server configured to provide to the first slave test system instructions a second group of resource probes at the first slave test system to implement the second resource test protocols on the second plurality of devices under test.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of devices under test are housed in a first plurality of test slots configured to protect the first plurality of test devices under test from electromagnetic interference.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second plurality of devices under test are housed in a second plurality of test slots configured to protect the second plurality of test devices under test from electromagnetic interference.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the master test management server is configured to gather third identifiers of a third plurality of devices under test coupled to a second slave test system;

the resource identification server is configured to identify third resource test protocols, the third resource test protocols providing a basis to test compliance of one or more resource parameters of the third plurality of devices under test; and

the slave test system control server is configured to provide to the second slave test system instructions to configure a third group of resource probes at the second slave test system to implement the third resource test protocols on the third plurality of devices under test.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second slave test system is coupled to one or more of the master test system and the first slave test system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the devices under test comprise one or more of cable modems and embedded multimedia terminal adapters (eMTAs).

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the resource identification server is configured to identify one or more test probe containers corresponding to the second group of resource probes, the one or more test probe containers comprising virtual representations of the second group of resource probes.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the shared test protocols comprise test protocols for testing:

cable modem termination system (CMTS) responses, provisioning/Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) responses, call management system (CMS) responses, and Data over Cable Service Interface Specification/Wide Area Network (DOCSIS/WAN) responses.

19. A system comprising:

a master test management server configured to gather first identifiers of a first plurality of devices under test coupled to a master test system, and to gather second identifiers of a second plurality of devices under test coupled to a first slave test system coupled to the master test system;

a shared test protocol server configured to identify shared test protocols, the shared test protocols providing a basis to test compliance of one or more shared functional parameters shared by the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test;

a resource identification server configured to identify first resource test protocols, the first resource test protocols providing a basis to test compliance of one or more resource parameters of the first plurality of devices under test, and to identify second resource test protocols, the second resource test protocols providing a basis to test compliance of one or more resource parameters of the second plurality of devices under test;

a master probe container configured to configure a group of shared probes at the master test system to implement the shared test protocols on the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test, and to configure a first group of resource probes at the master test system to implement the first resource test protocols on the first plurality of devices under test; and

a slave test system control server configured to provide to the first slave test system instructions a second group of resource probes at the first slave test system to implement the second resource test protocols on the second plurality of devices under test,

wherein the resource identification server is configured to identify one or more test probe containers corresponding to the first group of resource probes, the one or more test probe containers comprising virtual representations of the first group of resource probes.