KR101907684B1 - Management system of ATE for concurrent test of test object - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for operating an automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects, and more particularly, to a test system for automatically testing a plurality of test objects controlled by automatic test equipment (ATE) A switching unit for connecting signal lines between the test objects, a plurality of connection units 100 for combining the meters controlled by the automatic test equipment with respective modules, a plurality of connection units 100 connected to the automatic test equipment A plurality of connection units 100 and a plurality of connection units 200 connected to each other through a cable, and the plurality of test units 200 And an additional expansion unit (300) configured by combining test resources other than the combined test resources in modules. It relates to the operating system of automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing.

Description

In this paper, we propose an automatic test system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects.

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects, more particularly, to a system for simultaneously testing a plurality of test objects controlled through automatic test equipment, The present invention relates to an automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects.

Automated test equipment such as Automated Test Equipment (ATE) automatically tests the functions and performance of electronic equipment consisting of various types of circuit assemblies with minimum operator intervention and identifies the faulty items among the internal components to be.

Such multifunctional / large-scale automation test equipment is generally manufactured in the form of a built-in commercial instrument inside a rack-type frame, and these devices are electrically connected to internal test resources (instruments, etc.) based on a single ICA Since the interface is connected and the test is carried out sequentially, simultaneous testing of various test objects is impossible.

That is, in the case of conventional automated test equipment, since one test field obesity test can be performed at one time, complicated electronic equipment has a problem in that it takes a long test time due to a large number of input / output ports to be tested using various instruments.

In addition, existing automation test equipment is optimized for a specific test object, and since equipment development is completed, there is a problem that the scalability for the additional test object is insufficient.

In this connection, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0164836 ("Radio Equipment Automatic Test Apparatus and Method") discloses an automatic test apparatus for automatically testing a module of a radio equipment to diagnose a failure.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0164836 (registered on September 14, 1998)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for simultaneously testing a plurality of test objects simultaneously by scheduling a plurality of test objects controlled through an automatic test equipment And to provide an operation system of automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects which can improve the operability of the equipment.

The automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of test objects controlled by automatic test equipment (ATE) A plurality of connection units 100 configured by combining switching units for connecting a signal line between objects and a meter controlled by an automatic test equipment to each module, a plurality of connection units 100 connected to each other by a cable, A plurality of connection units 100 and a plurality of connection units 200 are connected by a cable and the plurality of connection units 100 and the plurality of connection units 100 are connected by a cable, And an additional expansion unit 300 configured by combining test resources other than the combined test resources with modules.

Furthermore, when the power supply is required according to the test object, the connection unit 100 includes a power supply unit and a combination of modules.

Further, the resource unit 200 includes a message reception buffer, and the message reception buffer stores the measurement request message received from the plurality of connection units 100, and sequentially transmits the measurement request message to the resource unit 200 or the additional expansion unit 200. [ And the test measurement is performed in parallel using the test resources configured in the test apparatus 300.

The automatic test equipment operation system for the simultaneous test of multiple test objects according to the present invention having the above-described configuration enables simultaneous testing of a plurality of test objects at the same time through scheduling of a plurality of test objects controlled through automatic test equipment Thus, there is an advantage that the operability of the equipment can be improved.

In addition, in the automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects of the present invention, test resources for connection with each test object and control means for control are set as one basic module, and the remaining test resources Etc.) are separated into separate modules, and separately configured instrument modules are used based on the independent operation of a plurality of basic modules, and thus the scalability of the equipment can be ensured by adding modules.

FIG. 1 is a simplified view of an automated test equipment operation system for simultaneous multiple test object testing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a detailed view of an automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating an example of simultaneous test scheduling of test objects according to an operation system of an automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an operation system of an automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following drawings are provided by way of example so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the following drawings, but may be embodied in other forms. In addition, like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

In this case, unless otherwise defined, technical terms and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In the following description and the accompanying drawings, A description of known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the description of the present invention will be omitted.

In addition, a system refers to a collection of components, including devices, mechanisms, and means that are organized and regularly interact to perform the required function.

The operation system of the automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connection part for connecting a test object for testing, a resource part for sharing measurement resources and control signals, and an additional expansion part for special testing It is divided into a plurality of connection units, which operate independently of each other and are connected to the resource unit and extension unit including the test resources which are not included in the connection unit but are commonly used, constitute the automatic test equipment. The test is performed through scheduling control on the test resource used as the test resource.

That is, in order to solve the problem that only one test object can be tested in the existing automatic test equipment, the operation system of the automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system in which a plurality of test objects are shared The concurrent test is performed through the parallel scheduling control for the test resources used as the test resource, thereby improving the system operability and scalability.

1 and 2 are views showing a system for operating an automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, The operation system of the automatic test equipment for the simultaneous test of the test object is described in detail.

The automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of connection units 100, a resource unit 200, and an additional expansion unit 300, It can be applied to automatic test equipment operated by control-based instruments (Digital Multimeter, Arbitrary Waveform Generator, DC Power Supply, etc.), so that it is possible to detect and eliminate faults in assemblies composed of electronic circuits (test objects) It is effective to improve the serviceability through application.

To learn more about each configuration,

The connection unit 100 is connected to each of a plurality of test objects (electronic equipment) controlled by automatic test equipment (ATE), switching means for connecting signal lines between the automatic test equipment and the test object, And the controlled instruments can be configured by combining the respective modules.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it is preferable that each of the test objects is formed of individual connection parts, and that the connection part 100 includes an ICA (Interconnect Adapter) for interfacing with the automatic test equipment Do.

The connection unit 100 preferably includes switching means for connecting a signal line to the test object, which is an essential element of the test object together with the ICA, and control means (control computer) for controlling the meter. If supply is required, it may be combined with a module including power supply means.

Each of the connection portions 100 is preferably provided with respective SWs for the test progress of the test object, and operates independently through the installed SWs.

In other words, the connection unit 100 can be configured by modularizing the basic components and the control computer required for testing such as ICA, switching means for setting a measurement line, power supply means, essential meters, and the like, for each test object.

An interface between the test object and the automatic test equipment and control switching of the signal path are performed through the connection unit 100 and the test program and other programs are installed in advance in the module control means (control computer) It is desirable to support a user interface.

In addition, when a test request is made, the measurement request message may be transmitted to the resource unit 200 or the additional extension unit 300, and the measurement result may be received and reflected in the test result.

The resource unit 200 may be formed by combining a plurality of test resources, which are commonly used in a plurality of test objects controlled by the automatic test equipment, by modules connected to the plurality of connection units 100 by cables.

The resource unit 200 communicates with a test resource (e.g., a signal generator, an oscilloscope, a digital multimeter, etc.) commonly used in a plurality of test objects and a communication interface (e.g., LAN, UART, 429, MXI, etc.) can be combined into one module to perform communication.

Since the resource unit 200 is composed of test resources not included in the connection unit 100 and is configured by combining a plurality of test resources into modules, the resource unit 200 may include switching means such as MUX or MATRIX for connecting with the connection unit .

The communication unit of the resource unit 200 having a plurality of channels may be designed to be distributed to each connection unit 100. The resource unit 200 may be connected to the connection unit 100 and the additional expansion unit 300, It is also possible to relay the control between them.

The additional extension unit 300 is connected to the connection unit 100 and the resource unit 200 through a cable and may be configured by combining test resources other than the test resources combined in the resource unit 200 with modules.

That is, the additional extension unit 300 may not use a test resource (for example, RF, video signal, other dedicated equipment, etc.) used for a special purpose other than a test resource commonly used in a plurality of test objects. The modules can be combined to form additional expansion modules. Since the additional extension unit 300 can be separately developed and applied to a plurality of applications, there is no limitation on the physical size, and it is also possible to apply a plurality of the same extension modules.

It is preferable that the additional extension unit 300 is further combined with a special function of a test resource or a request of an administrator. For example, an RF switch, an RF signal generator, a spectrum analyzer, and RF parameters may be combined into one module to form an RF module. The additional extension unit 300 configured in this manner is connected to the connection unit 100 or the resource unit 200 through a cable.

The connection unit 100 may send a measurement request message to the resource unit 200 when the connection unit 100 requires the test using the modulated test resource to the resource unit 200, ), And the measured data is transmitted after the test is performed.

At this time, the resource unit 200 can consistently receive a measurement request through the plurality of connection units 100 as the connection unit 100 is composed of a plurality of connection units 100, and can perform each request processing in the form of FIFO And transmits the result (measurement data).

For this, the resource unit 200 includes a message reception buffer, and the message reception buffer is preferably configured by the number of module configurations of the connection unit 100. [

3, the resource unit 200 may store the measurement request message received from the connection unit 100 in the message reception buffer, and sequentially transmit the measurement request message to the resource unit 200 or And may transmit the measurement result to the connection unit 100 by measuring using the test resources configured in the additional extension unit 300.

In detail, the upper part (current test procedure) of FIG. 3 shows a conventional system, wherein procedures 1 to 6 are tests performed through one test object, and procedures 7 to 12 correspond to tests to be. There are overlapping test resources according to the characteristics of 1 test subject and 2 test subjects, but there are also test resources which are not overlapped. However, conventionally, after the test of one test subject is completed, the test of two test subjects is performed, which inevitably lengthens the test time.

On the other hand, as shown in the lower stage (parallel test procedure) of FIG. 3, the present invention simultaneously tests one test subject and two test subjects according to a measurement request message received in the message reception buffer of the resource unit 200 If overlapping test resources occur, they are first shared to one test subject who has sent a measurement request message, and then shared with two test subjects, so that simultaneous testing becomes possible.

The time required for the actual measurement of each instrument is about 2 to 3 seconds, and even if the measurement request message sent from the plurality of connection units 100 is sequentially processed, the bottleneck (due to the occurrence of redundant test resources) Not only enemies,

Even if a bottleneck occurs, even if the next message is processed after processing the test object according to the received measurement request message, the actual waiting time is a waiting time of a shorter time than the conventional system within a maximum of 10 to 30 seconds Simultaneous testing is possible without a scheduling algorithm.

That is, in other words, the operation system of the automatic test equipment for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention performs simultaneous test through parallel scheduling control for test resources commonly used by a plurality of test objects Thereby improving system operability and scalability.

The automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of multiple test objects according to an embodiment of the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer components, . The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data drives, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be ones that are specially designed and configured for the present invention, or those known to those skilled in the computer software field. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; optical media), and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine language code such as those generated by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware device can be configured to create as one or more software modules for performing the processing according to the present invention, and vice versa.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, And various modifications and changes may be made thereto by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described, and all of the equivalents or equivalents of the claims, as well as the following claims, belong to the scope of the present invention .

100: Connection
200: Resource Department
300: additional expansion unit

Claims (3)

A plurality of test objects controlled by automatic test equipment (ATE), switching means for connecting signal lines between the automatic test equipment and the test object, and an instrument controlled by the automatic test equipment, A plurality of connection portions 100 that are formed on a surface of the substrate 100;
A resource unit 200 connected to the plurality of connection units 100 by a cable and configured by combining a plurality of test resources commonly used in a plurality of test objects controlled by the automatic test equipment as modules; And
An additional extension unit 300 connected to the plurality of connection units 100 and the resource unit 200 by cables and configured by modularly combining test resources other than the test resources combined in the resource unit 200;
/ RTI >
The resource unit 200
A plurality of message reception buffers,
Sequentially storing a plurality of measurement request messages received from the plurality of connection units 100 using the message reception buffer,
When duplicate test resources among the test resources configured in the resource unit 200 or the additional extension unit 300 are generated according to the received measurement request messages, duplicate test resources in the order of received the measurement request message To make test measurements,
At the same time, when duplicate test resources among the test resources configured in the resource unit 200 or the additional extension unit 300 do not occur, test measurements are performed in parallel using the corresponding test resources. Automatic test equipment operation system for simultaneous testing of test objects.
The method according to claim 1,
The connection part 100
Wherein when the power supply is required according to the test object, a module including the power supply means is combined with the test object.
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