PROGRAMMABLE TEST INSTRUMENT

• US 20130111505A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Frick, Lloyd K., Lind, David John
• Granted Patent: US 10,776,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers

Abstract

In general, a test instrument includes a first processing system that is programmable to run one or more test programs to test a device interfaced to a test instrument, and that is programmed to control operation of the test instrument, and a second processing system that is dedicated to device testing. The second processing system being programmable to run one or more test programs to test the device, and the first processing system has a first application programming interface (API) and the second processing system has a second API, the first API and the second API being different APIs, the first API and the second API having at least some duplicate functions.

Claims

1. A test instrument comprising:

a first processing system that is programmable to run one or more test programs to test a device interfaced to a test instrument, and that is programmed to control operation of the test instrument; and

a second processing system that is dedicated to device testing, the second processing system being programmable to run one or more test programs to test the device;

wherein the first processing system has a first application programming interface (API) and the second processing system has a second API, the first API and the second API being different APIs, the first API and the second API having at least some duplicate functions.

2. The test instrument of claim 1, wherein functions of the first API are associated with corresponding functions of the second API.

3. The test instrument of claim 2, wherein functions of the first API are configured to call functions of the second API in response to information received by the first processing system.

4. The test instrument of claim 3, wherein the information comprises programming code written using functions of the first API, the functions of the first API calling functions of the second API to configure the programming code to run on the second processing system.

5. The test instrument of claim 4, wherein configuring the programming code to run on the second processing system comprises generating code using functions associated with the second API in response to use of corresponding functions of the first API.

6. The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the first processing system is programmable to generate a user interface, the user interface for interacting with the first processing system and for interacting with the second processing system through the first API and the second API.

7. The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the first processing system is programmable to generate a user interface, the user interface for interacting with the second processing system through the second API.

8. The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the first processing system is programmed to run one or more test programs to test the device interfaced to the test instrument,

wherein the second processing system is not programmed to run one or more test programs to test the device.

9. The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the first processing system is not programmed to run one or more test programs to test the device interfaced to the test instrument,

wherein the second processing system is programmed to run one or more test programs to test the device.

10. The test instrument of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more ports configured to mate to the device;

wherein the first processing system is configured to send test data to the device through the one or more ports;

or

wherein the second processing system is configured to send test data to the device through the one or more ports.

11. The test instrument of claim 1, wherein the first processing system comprises one or more microprocessors programmed to run a general purpose operating system;

and

wherein the second processing system comprises one or more embedded microprocessors, each of the one or more embedded microprocessors being programmed to test a corresponding device interfaced to the test instrument.

12. A method performed on a test instrument, the method comprising:

receiving a test program at a first processing system that is programmable to run one or more test programs to test a device interfaced to a test instrument, and that is programmed to control operation of the test instrument;

generating, based on the test program, an altered test program that is executable on a second processing system, the second processing system being dedicated to device testing and being programmable to run one or more test programs to test the device; and

transmitting the altered test program to the second processing system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first processing system has a first application programming interface (API) and the second processing system has a second API, the first API and the second API being different APIs, the first API and the second API having at least some duplicate functions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the test program comprises one or more calls to functions of the first API.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the altered test program comprises identifying one or more corresponding functions of the second API that correspond to the one or more functions of the first API.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the altered test program comprises replacing the one or more calls to functions of the first API with one or more calls to corresponding functions of the second API.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising executing the altered test program on the second processing system to test the device.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a development environment associated with the second processing system that allows the altered test program to be modified at the second processing system.