Method and system for automated test of end-user devices

• US 9,836,376 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Original Assignee: Contec LLC (Contec LLC /Management/)
• Inventors: Racey, Darby, Valakh, Vladzimir, Miranda, Vicente, Villanueva, Rafael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Paul D
• Application Number:
  US12/566,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,994 Days
• Field of Search: 702108, 702117, 702118, 702127, 714 30, 714 37
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/319 Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/27 Built-in tests
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/273 Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits G06F11/263 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2733 Test interface between tester and unit under test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/34 for reconfigurable circuits, e.g. field programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]

Abstract

A test system, for example for set top boxes or game consoles, includes logic to reformat media signals output by a device under test, logic to receive the reformatted media signals and to analyze them for errors, and a pluggable interface coupling the device under test to the logic to reformat the media signals.

Claims

1. A test system comprising:

conversion logic to receive media output by a unit under test and to reformat audio/video formats into converted media comprising a format compatible with test/analysis logic;

the test/analysis logic to receive the converted media and to analyze the converted media for errors;

an interchangeable cable interface module comprising cable plugs coupling the unit under test to the conversion logic, the cable plugs having a configuration unique to a make and/or model of the unit under test;

the interchangeable cable interface module comprising an identification in non-volatile memory of the make and/or model of the unit under test, the interchangeable cable interface module removable from between the unit under test and the conversion logic;

a slide onto which the unit under test is mounted;

a control to move the slide to engage cable plugs of the unit under test with the cable plugs of the interchangeable cable interface module; and

source signal selection logic to select a signal from a plurality of different sources based on the make and/or model of the unit under test and to direct a selected signal to the interchangeable cable interface module.

2. The test system of claim 1, further comprising:

the test/analysis logic to detect the make and/or model of the unit under test.

3. The test system of claim 2, further comprising:

configuration logic to apply the make and/or model of the unit under test to select a service provider configuration for the unit under test.

4. The test system of claim 3, further comprising:

the service provider configuration applied to the unit under test via the interchangeable cable interface module.

5. The test system of claim 2, further comprising:

selection logic to select the test/analysis logic to apply to the converted media according to the make and/or model of the unit under test.

6. The test system of claim 2, further comprising:

selection logic to select the conversion logic according to the make and/or model of the unit under test.

7. The test system of claim 1, further comprising:

testing logic to apply test signals to the unit under test via the interchangeable cable interface module, the test signals from a source other than a service provider network for the unit under test.

8. The test system of claim 7, further comprising:

logic to select the test signals according to the make and/or model of the unit under test.

9. The test system of claim 1, further comprising:

a retainer to engage and disengage the interchangeable cable interface module to and from the test system.

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

testing logic to apply test signals to the unit under test via a same physical medium as a service provider configuration is applied to the unit under test.

11. The test system of claim 1, further comprising:

a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) daughter board coupled to the interchangeable cable interface module, the HDMI daughter board configured to decode and test HDMI signals for compliance with a high bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) specification.