A view of the AI-ESTATE architecture and the ABBET/sup (TM/) upper layers

Work in the IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 20 (SCC20) to develop standards for A Broad Based Environment for Test (ABBET) and for supporting intelligent diagnostics in test environments (AI-ESTATE) is coming to fruition. The ABBET subcommittee is preparing to ballot the "full-use" version of its architecture standard (P1226), and the AI-ESTATE subcommittee has published its architecture standard in "trial-use" form (P-1232). Although independent of the ABBET architecture, many view AI-ESTATE as an integral part of the ABBET family. In this paper, the author discusses the elements of AI-ESTATE as they might fit within the AI-ESTATE framework. He also discusses how a "systems view" to developing test environments facilitates this integration.