The Test Executive: The strength of testing and diagnosis

The test executivepsilas primary purpose is to control the flow of testing on a given piece of automated test equipment. It accomplishes this by loading and executing a test programpsilas compiled executable code. Code execution enables the test executive to control the instruments, make decisions and direct the testing in accordance with the instructions contained in the test program. In addition to this primary basic function; Test Executives can be enhanced to provide additional options to improve overall testing and diagnosis. Debug tools can also be built into the test executive in order to provide a rich set of debug options for the test engineer. These options should be readily useable and easy to perceive. Also, since diagnosis is a huge part of Unit Under Test (UUT) testing, the debug capabilities should be vast and readily utilizable. In addition, backward compatibility, built-in securities, ease of operator use, reliability, and maintainability should also be considered in order to produce the ultimate test executive. Keeping this in mind, a team of experienced test engineers designed and developed a test executive (known as the WT2000) rich with execution options, debug tools, development tools and other vital TPS aids the overall performance of a strong test executive as a result of these enhancements and will be discussed in detail in this paper. The vastness or strength of debug tools and will also be discussed in this paper. This paper doesn't merely identify options and user friendliness of a test executive, but also the paper explains a real application and an actual test environment and the various techniques an operator and an engineer can utilize to perform test and diagnosis. The paper will also explain the use of a Test Station Emulator and how it allows test programs to be run and debugged using work stations not connected to the test system. Also, shown and explained will be in-depth debug capabilities and Soft Front Panels that allow instruments to be controlled from the test system's computer console. Another prime area which will be explained is a Test Navigator that provides the test station with its operators interface. This is a Browser Based Interface, i.e., acting much like an Internet Browser. This makes the test station extremely easy to operate and reduces training requirements to an absolute minimum.