Flexible test environment for automatic test equipment
First Claim
1. Automatic test equipment, used to develop and execute a test program for verifying a circuit under test, comprising:
- means for inputting data, including data for specifying a hierarchical tree of nodes, the tree of nodes including a root node and at least one group of end nodes descending from the root nodewherein each end node corresponds with one of a plurality of steps in the test program, at least one end node communicating with an instrument driver for controlling a test instrument, andwherein the at least one group of end nodes corresponds with steps relating to a type of test to be performed on the electronic circuit;
programmable computer means coupled to the means for inputting data, including processing means responsive to the input data for producing graphic data representing the tree of nodes and execution means for executing, following a sequence prescribed by the tree of nodes, the steps in the test program; and
graphic display means, coupled to the computer means, the display means being responsive to the graphic data for displaying an image of the tree of nodes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible test environment for automatic test equipment, whereby sequences of steps for developing and executing test programs are specified using hierarchical trees of nodes. The nodes in one tree include end leaves that correspond with the test program development steps, and the nodes in another tree include end leaves that correspond with the test program execution steps. Further, the end leaves in both trees have a plurality of associated properties, which are used for specifying test program flow and for indicating methods to be called when the steps are executed. The test environment can be easily adapted to a distributed tester architecture.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. Automatic test equipment, used to develop and execute a test program for verifying a circuit under test, comprising:
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means for inputting data, including data for specifying a hierarchical tree of nodes, the tree of nodes including a root node and at least one group of end nodes descending from the root node wherein each end node corresponds with one of a plurality of steps in the test program, at least one end node communicating with an instrument driver for controlling a test instrument, and wherein the at least one group of end nodes corresponds with steps relating to a type of test to be performed on the electronic circuit; programmable computer means coupled to the means for inputting data, including processing means responsive to the input data for producing graphic data representing the tree of nodes and execution means for executing, following a sequence prescribed by the tree of nodes, the steps in the test program; and graphic display means, coupled to the computer means, the display means being responsive to the graphic data for displaying an image of the tree of nodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A tester including a plurality of instruments for applying test signals to a circuit under test and for measuring signals produced by the circuit under test, and a computer workstation for controlling the plurality of instruments, the computer workstation including software for generating the test signals and for controlling the plurality of instruments, the software comprising:
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a plurality of test generation tools for facilitating the generation of the test signals; a plurality of instrument drivers for controlling the plurality of instruments; program means for inputting data relating to the generation of the test signals and for inputting data relating to the control of the instruments; a first plurality of modules, each module in the first plurality for facilitating, data transfers between the program means for inputting test generation data and a respective test generation tool; a second plurality of modules, each module in the second plurality for facilitating data transfers between the program means for inputting instrument control data and a respective instrument driver; and means, responsive to the program means for inputting data, for operating the plurality of test generation tools via the first plurality of modules and for operating the plurality of instrument drivers via the second plurality of modules; wherein the test generation tools and the instrument drivers are software modules with non-standard interfaces and the first and second pluralities of modules provide standard interfaces for the respective tools and drivers. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification