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

• US 10,158,553 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Original Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Inventors: Tiwari, Rajeev, Mathur, Mrinal
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassim, Khaled M
• Application Number:
  US15/624,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A system may include a master test system and a plurality of slave test systems coupled to the master test system and/or each other. The system may include devices under test (DUTs) (also referred to herein as units under test (UUTs)) stored in test slots and coupled to the master test system or specific slave test systems over Ethernet, coaxial, or other cables. Each test slot may include a Faraday cage that shields the contents therein from electromagnetic signals outside the test slot. The master test system and/or the slave test systems may test the DUTs using specific sequences of tests according to testing protocols relevant to those DUTs. One or more test controllers, mobile devices, display devices, and/or input devices may be coupled to the test systems and be used to control specific test protocols performed by the test systems.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a master test system comprising a shared test protocol server, a master resource server and a slave test system control server, and configured to provide;

first test instructions from the shared test protocol server or the master resource server to test a first plurality of devices under test, the first plurality of devices under test being housed in a first plurality of test slots associated with the master test system and configured to protect the first plurality of devices under test from electromagnetic interference; and

second test instructions from the shared test protocol server or the slave test system control server to test a second plurality of devices under test;

a first device interface configured to couple the master test system to the first plurality of devices under test over a first coupling, the first device interface being configured to accommodate first signal degradation due to the first coupling;

a slave test system coupled to the master test system, the slave test system configured to receive the second test instructions from the shared test protocol server or the slave test system control server and provide the second test instructions to the second plurality of devices under test, the second plurality of devices under test being housed in a second plurality of test slots associated with the slave test system and configured to protect the second plurality of devices under test from electromagnetic interference; and

a second device interface configured to couple the slave test system to the second plurality of devices under test over a second coupling, the second device interface being configured to accommodate second signal degradation due to the second coupling,

wherein

the shared test protocol server is configured to identify shared test protocols for testing functional parameters shared by the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test;

the master resource server is configured to support test protocols that test resources on the first plurality of devices under test; and

the slave test system control server is configured to provide instructions to control the second plurality of devices under test.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first signal degradation comprises a first attenuation due to the first coupling, or the second signal degradation comprises a second attenuation due to the second coupling.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of devices under test comprises a first plurality of cable modems or a first plurality of Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapters (eMTAs), or the second plurality of devices under test comprises a second plurality of cable modems or a second plurality of Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapters (eMTAs).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device interface comprises a first attenuator configured to accommodate a first attenuation due to the first coupling.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device interface comprises a second attenuator configured to accommodate a second attenuation due to the second coupling.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of test slots or the second plurality of test slots comprise Faraday cages configured to electromagnetically shield items housed therein.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of test slots or the second plurality of test slots are incorporated into a test rack configured to facilitate testing of items located thereon.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the master test system and the slave test system are coupled to one another using a coaxial line and an amplifier, the amplifier being configured to accommodate signal degradation due to the coaxial line.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a test controller coupled to the master test system, the test controller being configured to provide the first test instructions and the second test instructions to the master test system.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an input device coupled to the test controller, the input device being configured to receive identifiers of the first plurality of devices under test and the second plurality of devices under test.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the test controller and the input device are incorporated into one or more of a mobile phone, a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, and a desktop computer.