The lack of standards for automatic test information has stifled the development of more efficient and interoperable test systems to better meet next generation automatic test challenges. In response, the Naval Air Systems Command led the creation of the automatic test markup language (ATML) to standardize the exchange medium for sharing information between components of an automatic test system. ATML defines component standards that represent the components of an automatic test system (ATS), such as test results, test description and instrument description, and the interoperability between these standards. The ATML specification standardizes how components are documented but doesnpsilat elaborate on how ATS developers should use the standards in the design and execution of an ATS. This paper will propose an implementation of ATML in the ATS development and execution workflow in order to motivate the use of this standard in ATS development and generate discussion in the ATML community.

Implementing ATML into the Automatic Test System development and execution workflow

In this paper, we design and implement an automatic measurement system for measuring the power efficiency of DC-DC converters on a motherboard. By incorporating a software module to measure the efficiency with the assistance of a LabVIEW software module, we propose a design for our virtual instrument (VI) with a front panel as a friendly user interface to control the efficiency measurement system, rather than the manually operated designs which not only require more manpower but are also time-consuming. Our design also improves the accuracy by utilizing automatic measurement. By using our software module, our system increases the loading of the DC-DC converter with a smaller error to measure and record both the input voltage/current, and it the output voltage/current and automatically performs a valid functional analysis. Our software cooperates with hardware instruments by means of a GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus) interface. The output loading can be controlled exactly for each second due to the transient limitation of a DC-DC converter.

Design and implementation of an automatic measurement system for DC-DC converter efficiency on a motherboard

In response to the lack of common formats for documenting automatic test information, the Naval Air Systems Command led the creation of the Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML) to standardize the documentation and reporting of automatic test information. ATML defines classes that represent automatic test system (ATS) components, such as test description, test results and instrument description, and the interoperability between classes. As an emerging standard, ATML classes have different levels of definition and adoption. One of the most adopted classes in the ATML standard is Test Description (TD). Organizations are expecting the adoption of the ATML TD standard to reduce the development and maintenance costs for test program sets (TPSs).

Automatic ATML test description translation to a COTS test executive

The CTCS Hardware-In-the-Loop Simulation (HILS) system is currently under developing and needs to be tested thoroughly. According to the requirements of concurrency and configurability, a test process model based contract-checking test method (CCTM) is proposed to execute the test verdict on-line. By analyzing several test applications, the test process could be abstracted as a test event chain. And every test event has its own preconditions and consequences, which are considered as a formal contract. Checking a contract, we can easily monitor the test stimuli, observation and verdict. Then, the function modules and the crucial techniques in applying CCTM to distributed railway test system are described. The applications in CCTM show that the proposed test method satisfies the test requirements of the CTCS HILS system.

A contract-checking test method for CTCS Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation system

Model-based Testing (MBT) is an approach for generating test cases automatically from abstract models of the system under test (SUT). The resulting test cases are also abstract and they have to be concretized before being applied to the SUT. This task is typically delegated to the test adaptation layer. The test adaptation is usually created manually which is tedious and error prone. In this paper, we present an approach in which we take advantage of an existing test execution framework for implementing the test adaptation between an on-line MBT tool and the SUT. The approach allows the reuse of message libraries and automatic concretization/abstraction of tests in on-line testing. In addition, we also discuss ways to automate the building of the test adaptation from other artifacts of the testing process. We exemplify our approach with excerpts from a telecom case study.

Towards Rapid Creation of Test Adaptation in On-line Model-Based Testing

Although ATML has started to gain momentum in the defense industry because of its adoption in high-profile projects (Woodward and Harris, 2006) and its implementation by ATS vendors (Gonzalez, 2006), a large segment of the automatic test community lacks in-depth knowledge of all the ATML components and how to use ATML in their own systems. Furthermore, for ATML to deliver on the productivity gains it proposes, ATML must be adopted beyond the defense industry. This article is an introduction to ATML, its subcomponents, and how it is being used in automatic test software development. In particular, this article focuses on how ATML can facilitate information exchange, expand interoperability of test systems, and increase ATS component documentation. The article describes the eight schemas that make up ATML and focuses on the test description and test results schemas to demonstrate how ATSs can use these components.

ATML as a framework for reducing development time and maintenance of next generation test systems

This paper presents the outcome of a UK MoD sponsored development effort to provide a suite of source code that will be made available to contractors employed in the provision of test system software to the MoD and coalition partners. The primary purpose of this ‘open source software’ is to provide a working test system software framework that meets the requirements of the MoD's DEFSTAN 66-31 [1] (Open Systems Architecture); in particular, the use of IEEE 1641 [2] and ATML [3].

An open source software framework for the implementation of an open systems architecture, run-time system

An ATE software or test executive must perform a variety of tasks in addition to simply sequencing and running functional tests on the device under test (DUT). These tasks include prompting the test operator for a serial number and displaying test results, logging the results of the tests to a report, test system calibration and self-tests, and more.

Anand Jain

Papers

ATML as a framework for reducing development time and maintenance of next generation test systems

Implementing ATML into the Automatic Test System development and execution workflow

An open source software framework for the implementation of an open systems architecture, run-time system

Automatic ATML test description translation to a COTS test executive

Using a plug-in model to simplify and enhance ATE test software capabilities