Cloud Connectivity of a Distributed Cyber Physical Test System

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the IoT Industry face manifold challenges to launch their products within a limited cost frame. Sometimes their production lots are relatively small and do not justify to invest in sophisticated test systems especially because their products are very cost sensitive. SMEs in this industry usually do not have production and test facilities in their own premises and commission these tasks to external production and test providers. If a supplier is abroad it becomes difficult to control the task remotely and protect the intellectual property (IP) of the product from being reverse engineered. The proposed Cyber Physical Test System (CPTS) addresses both price sensitivity and remote IP protection. In its first approach the CPTS’ intended DUTs (devices under test) are printed circuit boards (PCBs) typical for the IoT-market: they are of limited or medium complexity but contain at least one processing element. The DUT-attached CPTS main component (test station) shall not be able to perform any activity without authentication. For achieving this kind of remote IP protection, the CPTS relies on a so-called "Testcloud" for overall test-management and an Edge-Server providing services for multiple test stations per test site. Test station, edge-server and Testcloud services take their different roles following the so-called Operator Controller Module (OCM) scheme. This scheme requires connectivity between Edge-server and test station in real-time. To achieve the price-sensitivity goal but maintain a reasonable quality of tests, CPTS-modules will make use of FPGA-based measurement modules.

I. Introduction

There is a demand for easy-to-use and low-cost test systems for IoT devices especially at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which cannot afford full featured commercial in-circuit test (ICT) equipment. SMEs without an own production line also have to consider problems and risks of remote production and test of their products at sub-contractor or customer premises.