Virtual Instrument Architecture for Hardware-Independent Test Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated test equipment (ATE) systems are expensive due to their specialized nature, leading to high costs and inefficiencies in testing resources, as they require expensive hardware and software design, and are inflexible, making it difficult to implement new features or hardware without affecting existing systems, resulting in prolonged development and maintenance times.
Innovation Solution
A modular test system architecture with an abstraction layer that decouples testing applications from hardware, using virtual instruments and a standard interface to manage hardware independence, allowing for the addition of new functionality without disrupting existing systems, and enabling the reuse of testing platforms across different hardware versions and configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ATE systems use specialized hardware and software design, then testing reliability and determinism are improved, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ATE system into distinct modular components: test instruments, driver programs, and virtual instrument entities. Each component operates independently with well-defined interfaces, allowing the system to maintain reliability through modular design while reducing overall complexity. The virtual instrument entity acts as an intermediary layer that decouples the test program from hardware-specific details.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual instrument entity serves as an intermediary between the test program and the physical test instruments. It provides a standardized interface that abstracts hardware-specific variations, allowing test programs to remain unchanged while adapting to different instrument versions or types. This mediator layer maintains system reliability while reducing the complexity of hardware-software integration.
2Measurement precision
If ATE systems are highly specialized with tight coupling between software and hardware, then testing precision is improved, but adaptability to new devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual instrument entity provides a universal interface that can work with multiple types of test instruments and device configurations. The standardized function call interface allows the same test program to adapt to different hardware versions and instrument types without modification, maintaining testing precision while significantly improving adaptability to new devices and configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic mapping where the virtual instrument entity can adaptively map function calls to different underlying hardware implementations based on the specific instrument available. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain precise testing capabilities while being flexible enough to accommodate new devices and instrument variations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If new test instruments are integrated into existing ATE systems, then functionality is improved, but system stability and deterministic operation deteriorate due to tight coupling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hardware-specific interface details from the core test program logic by introducing a virtual instrument entity layer. This extraction allows new test instruments to be integrated by simply adding new driver programs that implement the standardized interface, without affecting the stability of the existing test program and system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual instrument entity acts as a protective intermediary layer that isolates the core test program from hardware variations. When new instruments are integrated, only the driver program and virtual instrument entity need to be updated, while the stable core system continues to operate deterministically. This mediator prevents cascading changes that would otherwise destabilize the system.
4Productivity
If conventional ATE systems are designed for high-volume testing, then productivity is improved, but cost efficiency for lower volumes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The modular virtual instrument architecture creates a universal platform that can efficiently handle both high-volume and low-volume testing scenarios. The standardized interface and reusable driver programs eliminate the need for expensive custom development for each testing scenario, making the system cost-effective across different production volumes while maintaining high productivity through automated testing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Test systems and methodologies are provided and may include platforms for developing test programs for automated testing. In one example, tester and instruments are isolated from the tester OS, permitting any OS to be used. In another, a user layer is isolated from the physical layer, permitting hardware-independent development and usability among different tester platforms. In another, test program execution is isolated from tester platform OS, permitting test program function independent from tester platform. In another embodiment, functions are only added, existing links to functions are not broken, ensuring continued operation with new software, hardware and/or features. Systems may be non-deterministic. In one example, the non-deterministic computer is required to execute computer instructions within a constant execution time. A deterministic engine may be used to wait a variable amount of time to ensure constant execution time. Execution over constant time is deterministic permitting applications requiring deterministic behavior.