Integration of Software Technologies into a Test System

Transcription

1 Integration of Software Technologies into a Test System Victor Fernandes EMEA Sales Manager Geotest M.T.S 6 Impasse de la Nouzotte Jouars Pontchartrain France Tel: , Fax: victorf@geotestinc.com 1

2 Corporate Structure Large scale & precision machined components, assemblies and subassemblies Airborne Armament Equipment - which includes ejector racks, missile launchers, aircraft pylons and other associated equipment Test and Measurement Instrumentation Software & Systems Ground Vehicles - a range of Advanced Light Strike Vehicles for special forces teams Vehicle systems such as equipment trailers, environmental systems and weapons integration 2 2

3 Geotest Products and Services We are the only PXI manufacturer offering instruments, mainframes, and software as well as system integration services & turnkey systems Products Only Pre-wired system Partial solution Turn-Key solution Geotest provides: Provide hardware and software components (COTS) Geotest provides: Items installed in a rack plus hardware is wired to a mass interconnect (Core ATE) Geotest provides: Pre-wired system plus a self-test adapter Geotest provides: All ATE Items plus all UUT TPS development Customer Does : All system development and integration Customer Does : All system software and Interface Test Adapter (ITA) development Customer Does : All UUT software and ITA development Customer Does : Nothing 3 geotestinc.com

4 Geotest - PXI Products Measurement & Switching Other Resources Digital Resources High voltage pin electronics Chassis & Power Supply Digital I/O with PMU Stimuli Instruments Applications High Speed Digital I/O Software Packages FPGA Instrument

5 t e r o t e s t A U T O M A T I C T E S T E Q U I P M E N T Established 1982 GEOTEST MTS Distributor for UK Produce a range of ATE, including: About Terotest - itest Latest range of Functional, InCircuit & PXI-based test systems - CTS100 Functional Digital test system with 15V pin cards and links to LASAR - LINX Fixtureless Backplane and Cable Harness test system

6 Background The incorporation of various software technologies and methods has become common place in today s functional test systems. Increasingly test engineers are employing multiple languages and test methods as part of a test program set (TPS). When one includes the use of both textual and graphical programming languages, the breadth test methods grows even larger. Clearly, having a robust tool set that can accommodate and assist the developer in combining these various architectures, languages and methods can be a real benefit to the test developer. 6

7 Background Modern test systems routinely require incorporation multiple software and hardware technologies like: Instrument Drivers DLL, ActiveX/COM,.NET IVI, FP, LLB, VI Support for multiple instrument busses PXI/PC, GPIB, VXI, LXI,PXIe,USB, RS232 Integration of pure software components / applications Excel Database XML/HTML/ATML Math/Analysis Support for a variety of programming languages Legacy application support Summation,proprietary ATE language. 7

8 The expanded language (TRD) The expanded T&M language allows user-defined statements (commands) that create a self documented, TRD (Test Requirements Document)-like, easy to generate test applications using built-in features such as code completion. The language can be used to create statements such as: PS Set Voltage (5) Volts DMM Set Function VDC MATRIX Switch(Dmm,Row1 ) DMM Measure (TestResult) Or statements such as: SYSTEM Measure VDC J13 (TestResult) 8

9 Incorporation multiple software and hardware technologies Manage Users & Data Base Release / Control Programs Test Executive Production & Development Environments Manage Test Sequence/flow Production UI Reports/ Data logging Instruments /Signal description language (TRD) (READ VOLTAGE AT J1_P2 ) ATLAS ATML / XML Soft. Adapt Soft. Adapt Soft. Adapt Soft. Adapt ATEasy Library LabView /LW Tests Dev. UI Executables C VB Tests Dev. UI Executable Python TCL Other Secondary Software Technologies(IVI.Visa.fp.VI) 9 geotestinc.com Core Software Technologies (DLL,OCX ) Instrumentation/Switching UUT

10 Support for Core Software Technologies DLL files Windows API support Instrument Drivers, IVI-C Bus Interfaces, e.g. PXI, VXI, LXI, etc. COM/ActiveX/OCX support ActiveX Controls External Components (Excel) IVI-COM.NET framework support Windows Components Support for a broad range of methods & features 10

11 Support for Secondary Software Technologies IVI-C DLL Function Panel Drivers (.fp) - DLL IVI-COM - ActiveX C/C++ header files (.h) - DLL LabView.llb/.vi - ActiveX, DLL GPIB, VXI, LXI, DLL Spreadsheet & Database support ActiveX.NET 11

12 Integrating Diverse Technologies Can be a very complex task Time consuming Requires knowledge of technologies Who writes the test applications? How can we integrate all these technologies and Make them simple to use Provide a common interface for use Standardize error and exception handling Standardize initialization A software framework can help integrate these technologies 12

13 Integrating Diverse Technologies TRD Program documentation Excel & word templates Data Base Program Generator & debug Test executive Init Proc Tasks Tests System & resources management Soft Adapt ActiveX objects Soft Adapt Soft Adapt OCX DLL T&M Instruments End Proc Driver & commands definition editor Soft Adapt VI FP DLL IVI ActiveX 13

14 Integrating Diverse Technologies Init Proc Tasks Tests Power Supply Set Voltage (5) Volts Soft Adapt DLL OCX T&M Instruments End Proc Program Generator & debug Test executive Soft Adapt Soft Adapt DLL 14

15 Commands definition example Commands are User Defined Statements Example: DMM Set Function VDC DMM Measure (TestResult) 15

16 Integrating a DLL Dynamic Link Library (DLL): Export functions by name or number No type or parameters information required No description Language dependent programming interface C just include header file and call function VB include header or create one from.h Other languages Manually describe function, data type, constants, & return call convention Automatic importing of header file (.h) 16

17 Integrating DLLs - Problems Data Types are different Type conversion? Ambiguous data types (short *, short []) Structure packing, union Calling Conventions (stdcall, cdecl), Return data type can be ambiguous Ordinal support Preprocessing of header files can be complex Typedef Macro Nested include Windows.h 17

18 Integrating a DLL Automatic Conversion 18

19 Integrating a DLL Automatic/Manual Process 19

20 DLL based Driver (Cont d) A typical DLL function call to an instrument may look like that below void _API_ Gx6616Close(SHORT nhandle, SHORT ngroup, SHORT nrow, SHORT ncolumn, LPSHORT pnstatus); This can be mapped to a command to make easier to use and make test flow easier to understand The procedure parameters for handle and status can be handled at a lower layer allowing for simpler command use MATRIX Close (Channel_1, Ressource_DMM, Status) 20

21 Integrating ActiveX/COM Objects Component Object Model (COM) Libraries that contain type description for control, classes, functions and data types Classes/Controls : Properties, methods, Events Data types limited and adhere to a standard Run and design time information (properties) Late and Early Bind Function may contain a description and link to external help 21

22 Integrating an ActiveX/COM Object (cont d) 22

23 Integrating.NET Assemblies Similar to COM, but more complex Feature and types are rich Supports inheritance, static and virtual members, parameter constructors, overloading, templates and more Large libraries are built into windows and support most windows API in an object oriented (OO) manner Assemblies can be written with any.net language 23

24 Integrating.NET Assemblies - Example 24

25 Integrating Function Panel (.fp) drivers VXI Plug & Play Drivers support not only VXI instruments ( DLL based driver Offers some standardization for instrument drivers Goes beyond a plain DLL Includes initialization, error handling, Based on VISA Includes a command tree 25

26 Integrating a Function Panel Example (34401A) 26

27 IVI Drivers Builds on top of the VXI Plug & Play standard Classes for standard instruments and custom for others Allows interchangeability of instruments without changing the software 8 classes include SCOPE, PS, SWITCH, ARB, Spectrum Analyzer, Two flavors of IVI IVI-C IVI-COM (Agilent mostly) 27

28 LabView Drivers Wizard creates functions to pass parameters to LabVIEW VIs can be selected and opened for viewing or editing within wizard interface Parameter can be included or excluded, selection is remembered for future re-import this avid redundant parameters and allow keeping track of changes LabView run-time must be installed along with all dependent VIs geotestinc.com 28

29 Summary - Integration, Anyone? A software framework can greatly simplify and speed-up the integration of software technologies Minimizes the requirement to be a software technologist Promotes consistent use of technologies and methods Use of encapsulation hides the difficult parts of Implementation The right tool set or framework offers a cost effective and time-saving solution when integrating various software technologies 29

30 ATEasy ROADMAP Compatibility is always maintained between versions 1991 ATEasy ATEasy ATEasy bit arch ATEasy ATEasy ATEasy 7.0 ATEasy NT support 2010 ATEasy x 200x 20xx 30

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