Signal management techniques for a reconfigurable test environment

The key to designing a reconfigurable test system is the handling of test signal routing and compensation of the test station's effect on the signal's characteristics. Signal routing must be maintainable, versatile, and dynamic to meet the requirements of today's large test station designs. Test stations are being required to test more types of units with the same assets. Additionally, stations are being designed with a core set of instrumentation and the addition of support augmentation equipment for more specialized unit testing. Signal handling must consider both the software and hardware aspects of a test system design. The test software should allow for signal routing specific to a station's design and not to the Test Program Set's (TPSs) design. By linking the signal routing to the station, a TPS becomes portable from station to station. Signal compensation must account for losses and delays due to the station's design. Techniques should be utilized that minimize the number of samples for creating proper compensation tables. It is with a thorough understanding of the required test accuracy and test station's characteristics that an efficient design approach may be achieved. It is the intent of this paper to discuss and provide a design methodology that supports each of these factors.