Translating test programs using a model-based process

The authors apply model-based techniques as a mechanism for rehosting a test program designed for operation on one type of automatic test equipment so that it can be used with different automatic test equipment. The paper describes the necessary steps to enact the translation process: extracting existing test strategy/replaceable item callouts/code segments, deriving an inference model from the existing test strategy, converting the inference model into a new test strategy, translating the individual code segments and, finally, merging the model-based test strategy with the translated code segments. The proposed interchange mechanisms for the model and test strategy data are the Enhanced Diagnostic Inference Model and Fault Tree Model schemata of the IEEE Standard 1232: Artificial Intelligence Exchange and Service Tie to All Test Environments (Al-ESTATE). The process takes advantage of the separation of the test strategy and the encapsulated tests inherent in model-based diagnostics as a basis for performing the test program translation.