Process for the computer-assisted measurement and testing of electric circuits, especially electronic modules, and testing station for implementing the process

• US 5,963,889 A
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Meissner, Horst, Irregger, Franz, Stephan, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Hien
• Application Number:
  US08/952,890
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 702/124, 702/118, 702/119, 702/121, 702/122, 371/22.1, 395/183.03, 73/117.3
• US Class Current: 702/124
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31912 Tester/user interface

Abstract

A method for computer-aided measurement and testing of electrical circuits, and a test rig for carrying out such method, wherein the measurement and control tasks carried out by computer-aided measurement and test equipment during a test process, controlled by test software, for electrical circuits, are split into a data-relevant element, which contains test specification data and test instruction data, and a control-relevant test equipment driver section. The data-relevant element is formed in a text data field (TD) from which the control-relevant information can then be picked off. The invention can be used in all computer-controlled measurement and test rigs with measurement and control tasks as modular product-neutral test software.

Claims

1. A method for computer-aided measurement and testing of electrical circuits, the method comprising the steps of:

providing test software which defines measurement and control tasks during a test process, the test software to control test equipment which is available at a test rig and to further process measured data;

splitting the test software into a data-relevant element and a control-relevant element, the data-relevant element containing test specification data and test instruction data, the control-relevant element containing a driver section, which is independent of the electrical circuits to be tested, for the test equipment together with its test routines required for the processing of measured data;

designing the data-relevant element as a test data field from which unlimited control-relevant information can be picked off wherein the control-relevant element of the test software need be created only once so as to precisely match the test data field; and

defining an actual test sequence with sequence software based on a sequence of successive test steps in the text data field.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

locating the text data field in a computer unit;

providing test specification data in the text data field, the test specification data including stimuli and characteristics;

providing test instruction data in the text data field, the test instruction data including test step information and instructions; and

providing a measurement data field in the text data field, the measurement data field maintaining test record data.

3. A test rig for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a computer unit serving as a controller;

a printer;

a test equipment peripheral having a plurality of required test equipment devices including a digital multimeter;

a test adaptor for holding an electrical circuit for testing;

connecting lines connected between the plurality of required test equipment devices and the test adaptor; and

power supply units, the power supply units supplying power to both the test adaptor and the plurality of required test equipment devices.

4. The test rig as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a standardized data bus, the data bus connecting the plurality of test equipment devices to one another and to the computer unit.