Applying independent verification and validation to the automatic test equipment life cycle

Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) is becoming increasingly more sophisticated and complex, with an even greater dependency on software. With the onset of Versa Modular Eurocard (VME) Extensions for Instrumentation (VXI) technology into ATE, which is supposed to bring about the promise of interchangeable instrument components. ATE customers are forced to contend with system integration and software issues. One way the ATE customer can combat these problems is to have a separate Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) organization employ rigorous methodologies to evaluate the correctness and quality of the ATE product throughout its life cycle. IV&V is a systems engineering process where verification determines if the ATE meets its specifications, and validation determines if the ATE performs to the customer's expectations. IV&V has the highest potential payoff of assuring a safe and reliable system if it is initiated at the beginning of the acquisition life cycle and continued throughout the acceptance of the system. It is illustrated that IV&V effects are more pronounced when IV&V activities begin early in the software development life cycle, but later application of IV&V is still deemed to have a significant impact. IV&V is an effective technique to reducing costs, schedule, and performance risks on the development of complex ATE, and a "tool" to efficiently and effectively manage ATE development risks. The IV&V organization has the ability to perform a focused and systematic technical evaluation of hardware and software processes and products. When performed in parallel with the ATE development life cycle, IV&V provides for early detection.