Test Program Alteration for Device Under Test Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional test systems are unable to effectively shorten test time by removing unnecessary operations or commands from a test program for a device under test, limiting the improvement of unknown operations and only allowing logical confirmation of items that can be improved.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that generate altered test candidates by adding alterations to shorten execution time, compare these to target test results, and determine if the target test can be replaced by the altered test candidate, using techniques such as genetic algorithms and optimization algorithms to reduce wait times and eliminate unnecessary processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a static analysis is used to remove unnecessary operations from a test program, then test time can be shortened for logically confirmed items, but the improvement is limited to only items that can be logically confirmed and unknown operations cannot be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-testing by automatically generating altered test candidates, executing them, and evaluating results without requiring extensive manual analysis. The test system itself serves to identify and optimize operations that would otherwise require external static analysis, enabling optimization of both known and unknown operations through automated execution and result comparison.
2Productivity
If the target test is replaced by an altered test candidate with shorter execution time, then test efficiency is improved, but the reliability of test results may be compromised if the alteration affects test accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The system executes the altered test candidate and compares its results with the target test results to determine whether the alteration is acceptable. This feedback mechanism ensures that only alterations maintaining test result accuracy are adopted, while those that compromise reliability are rejected. The comparison process provides the necessary feedback to validate that efficiency improvements do not sacrifice test accuracy.
3Loss of time
If multiple altered test candidates are generated to further shorten execution time, then test time reduction is enhanced, but the complexity of selecting the optimal candidate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines whether to generate further altered test candidates by evaluating whether the current candidate's execution time meets a predetermined threshold or is sufficiently short. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex manual evaluation of multiple candidates, as the system autonomously decides when further optimization is necessary and selects the appropriate candidate based on automated criteria.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an apparatus including a generating section that generates an altered test candidate obtained by adding an alteration shortening an execution time of a test to a target test for testing a device under test; a test processing section that causes a test apparatus to perform the altered test candidate on the device under test; and a comparing section that compares an altered test result of the device under test resulting from the altered test candidate to a target test result of the device under test resulting from the target test; and a judging section that judges whether the target test can be replaced by the altered test candidate, based on the comparison result of the comparing section.