TW202203101A - Open architecture platform automatic test system with checking authority module - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses open architecture platform automatic test system with checking authority module can accept most specifications interface instruments for signal transmission, and provides test program editing capabilities for any power supply test application.. The test system can provide at least one input/output port, and the input/output port can be inserted and drive a checking authority module key that stores the start and end of authorization period and authorization configuration data.

Description

Open-architecture automated test system with authority audit module

The present invention relates to an open-frame automated testing system with an authority auditing module, in particular to an automated testing system that can self-check to determine whether to act.

In the field of automated testing, it is often necessary to provide a variety of hardware options, allowing customers to select the instrument to be tested in the system to provide test signals, such as programmable AC/DC power supplies, electronic loads, digital meters, oscilloscopes , timing/noise analyzers, short-circuit and over-voltage protection testers, etc. Some manufacturers provide closed-architecture systems to save software development time or simplify design, and limit customers to select specific matching instruments. In the sales model, the industry will open the sales system to the customer for trial (Demo System), and agree on the authorization period for the trial as a sales strategy for the product machine. The advantage is that the customer can install the product machine on the production line first, have ample trial time, and can evaluate the function and work efficiency of the product machine on site.

However, the above sales model also has potential risks. For example, unscrupulous operators will steal business secrets and imitate the configuration of the system through the trial stage; The test system may not be retrieved smoothly. In addition, since the system is located at the customer's premises, the customer may violate the spirit of the contract and continue to use the free system machine over time. In this way, letting customers overdue use will not only cause losses to the industry, but also give customers an opportunity to maliciously use tricks, and even contribute to this bad atmosphere.

In order to solve the problem of overdue use of the system by customers, some operators will add use permissions to the operating programs of the system to prevent customers from continuing to use the system without permission. However, in practice, the authority to lock the operating program is easy to be cracked or technically bypassed. For example, it is possible to evade the inspection during the authorization period by modifying the internal time of the system, so it is not easy to achieve the purpose of preventing overdue use of the system. Accordingly, the industry needs a new system and method for checking the authorization period under an open architecture, so as to ensure that customers cannot use the system outside the authorization period, so as to reduce the losses caused to the operators.

The present invention provides an open-architecture automated testing system with an authority auditing module. The system software adopts an open-architecture. The so-called open-architecture means that the software platform of the automated testing system does not need to consider the brand of the testing instrument. Instruments that integrate the same test functions of different manufacturers, through a unified call interface, allow to support the test command block of any type of instrument mentioned above, so that the test command can trigger the test command block of the instrument to achieve the purpose of accessing the instrument.

The present invention provides an open-frame automated testing system, with a permission check key designed, the system provides at least one input/output port, and the input/output port can be used to plug in and drive the permission check key, the permission check The key stores the authorization start time and authorization termination time point. Before the system is started, the authorization period will be determined by the authorization audit key, because the use of hardware can prevent the inspection from being bypassed.

The present invention proposes an open-frame automated testing system, which designs a permission check key. The system provides at least one input/output port, and the input/output port can be used to plug in and drive the permission check key. The permission check The key stores the information of various instruments that have been set on the system. The configured information has the configuration data of the instrument. When the system starts, the authorization audit key will be verified first. If the configuration data of various instruments and the authorization audit key are inconsistent, The system will not start.

In some embodiments, when any test instrument on the system receives a test command, the authorization check key will check whether the first execution time point in the test command is later than the authorization start time point, and the test instrument determines whether to start the test program accordingly. When the first execution time point is later than the authorization start time point, the authorization audit key can generate an audit pass signal, and the test instrument starts the test program according to the audit pass signal. When the first execution time point is earlier than the authorization start time point, the authorization audit key does not generate an audit pass signal, and the test instrument does not operate.

In some embodiments, when any test instrument on the system receives the test command, the authority audit key can further check whether the first execution time point is earlier than the authorization termination time point, and the test instrument determines whether to start the test program accordingly. When the first execution time point is earlier than the authorization termination time point, the authority audit key can generate an audit pass signal, and the test instrument starts the test program according to the audit pass signal. When the first execution time point is later than the authorization termination time point, the authorization audit key does not generate an audit pass signal, and the test instrument does not operate.

The present invention provides a module with authority auditing, which includes, firstly, providing an authority auditing key, which stores the data of the authorization start time and authorization termination time point and the configuration data of various instruments that have been set on the system. Next, start the test program according to the test command. After the test program ends, the authorization start time point is updated to the first stop time point when the test program ends with the authorization audit key.

In some embodiments, the step of starting the test program according to the test command may further include the following steps. First, check whether the first execution time point in the test instruction is later than the authorization start time point with the authorization audit key. When the first execution time point is later than the authorization start time point, an audit pass signal is generated with the authorization audit key. Next, the test procedure is started according to the audit pass signal. In addition, when the first execution time point is not later than the authorization start time point, the authorization audit key does not generate an audit pass signal.

In some embodiments, the step of starting the test program according to the test command may further include the following steps. First, check whether the first execution time point is earlier than the authorization termination time point with the authorization audit key. When the first execution time point is earlier than the authorization termination time point, an audit pass signal is generated with the authorization audit key. Next, the test procedure is started according to the audit pass signal. In addition, when the first execution time point is not earlier than the authorization termination time point, the authorization audit key does not generate an audit pass signal.

To sum up, the open-architecture automated test system provided by the present invention with an authority audit module uses the authority audit key that cannot be bypassed on the system, and uses the authority audit key to determine the inspection authorization period, the instrument's Configuration data to prevent customers from modifying the internal time of the system to avoid checks during authorization. In addition, the system time is checked again before the authorization period is automatically updated by the authorization check key provided by the present invention. If the authorization check key determines that the system time is incorrect, the authorization period will be updated with the value within the time limit.

The features, objects and functions of the present invention will be further disclosed below. However, the following descriptions are only examples of the present invention, and should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention, that is, any equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application of the present invention will still be the essence of the present invention, Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it should be regarded as a further embodiment of the present invention.

For the features and descriptions of the so-called open architecture, please refer to Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN1983168A "Processing Method for Controlling and Acquiring Data for Automatic Test System Instruments". Among them, it is mentioned that the functions of the test instruments with communication interfaces on the system platform are classified, the unified program call interface (API) belonging to various test instruments is defined, and the test command blocks belonging to various test instruments are defined to be integrated as A dynamic link library, then through a specified test command block required parameters and test command execution sequence and logical relationship, and after translation, the execution engine can directly call the relevant test instrument driver according to the specified content, so as to Access to the hardware device is made. The advantage of an open-frame test system platform is that it can integrate instruments with the same test function from different manufacturers without considering the brand of the test instrument.

Please refer to FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an open-architecture automated test system with an authority audit module according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , the configuration of the system platform 1 of the automated test system of this embodiment includes test instruments 10 , 11 , 12 and 13 (hereinafter referred to as the test instruments 10 to 13 ) and an interface device 20 , and the system platform 1 provides at least one input/output port 14, and the input/output port 14 is used to insert the authorization audit key 30. In practice, the test instruments 10 to 13 can be any combination of programmable AC/DC power supplies, electronic loads, digital meters or withstand voltage testers, etc., and can integrate different brands of instruments according to the needs of the customer's test terminal, as long as The test command blocks belonging to various test instruments are defined to be integrated into a dynamic link library, and the interface device 20 can directly call the relevant test instrument drivers to access the test instruments 10 to 13 . The interface device 20 is connected to the system platform 1 for inputting commands, or editing and expanding the test item function on the system platform 1. If there is a new test item requirement, the desired test item can be edited from the internal test item editing function. The authorization audit key 30 will be connected with at least one input/output port 14 provided by the system platform 1. The system platform 1 may have different forms of input/output port 14 interfaces, such as: USB Standard, USB Type-C or RS -232, etc., and the input/output port is used to plug in and drive the authorization audit key 30, the authorization audit key 30 not only stores the authorization start time and authorization termination time, but also stores the corresponding test instrument on the system platform 1 The configuration message contains the configuration data (Get_Config) of each test instrument, such as the combination of device ID, system number, and timing, through which the authority can be confirmed.

The test instruments 10 to 13 are electrically connected to the system platform 1 , and the interface device 20 may be a computer used to operate the platform 1 . In one example, the interface device 20 may carry the operation programs of the test instruments 10 to 13 , and the user may issue test commands to the test instruments 10 to 13 from the operation programs of the interface device 20 , and the test instructions can make the test instruments 10 . ~13 Execute the corresponding test program. Of course, this embodiment does not limit what kind of tests the test instruments 10 to 13 or the test programs are used for, and those with ordinary knowledge in the art can be applied to the system platform 1 of different test items. In addition, this embodiment does not limit whether the test instruments 10-13 are connected to the interface device 12 by wire or wirelessly, as long as the interface device 20 can be used to provide test instructions to the test instruments 10-13, it should belong to the scope of this embodiment. The components of the open-architecture automated test system of the present invention will be described separately below.

As mentioned above, the open-architecture automated testing system with an authority audit module of the present invention includes a system platform 1, and the configuration includes test instruments 10-13 and an interface device 20, and the system platform 1 must also include an authority audit key 30, The authorization audit key 30 stores the data of the authorization start time point and the authorization termination time point. In practice, the authority audit key 30 may be an electronic component with computing and storage functions. This embodiment does not specifically limit the type of the authority audit key 30, but at the current time point, the main use form is a portable general-purpose serial number. Bus bar (Universal Serial Bus, USB). In one example, the authorization start time point and the authorization termination time point represent the time interval during which the test instruments 10-13 are legally authorized to use, that is, the test instruments 10-13 can be operated normally at any time between the authorization start time point and the authorization termination time point. . In practice, when providing or installing an automated test system, the operator can pre-write the authorization start time and authorization termination time, and the configuration information of the test instruments 10 to 13 on the corresponding system platform in the authorization audit key 10~13. The configuration message contains the configuration data of each test instrument 10~13. That is to say, since the authorization start time and authorization termination time point are written by the manufacturer, it can naturally be ensured that the authorization start time point and the authorization termination time point are correct. In an example, the authorization start time point and authorization termination time point do not necessarily refer to a specific time point on a certain date, but may also be a cumulative number of hours, such as a given trial for several hours, which is not limited in this embodiment. In addition, it can be seen from the above that the authorization start time point and authorization termination time point are recorded in the authority audit key 30, not in the software (such as an operating program), and this embodiment does not limit the authorization start time point and authorization termination time point to be How the permission audit key 30 is written.

Taking a more common practical example, when a test command is sent from the interface device 20, the authorization check key 30 will first check the information in the test command to determine whether to start the test program. In practice, in addition to the instructions for controlling the test instruments 10 to 13 to execute the test program, the test instructions may also include the system time data of the interface device 20 and the configuration information of the test instruments 10 to 13. The authority audit key 30 is the It is used to check whether the system time information and the configuration data of the configuration information of test instruments 10~13 are correct. In one example, the test instruction may include a first execution time point when the test program starts to be executed, or a first stop time point when the test program ends.

When the user operation interface device 20 sends a test command to start the test program, the system time information and the configuration data of the test instruments 10-13 contained in the test command checked by the authorization audit key 30 belong to the same level and do not belong to the same level. Set limit priority. If the comparison of the system time information is unsuccessful, even if the configuration data of the test instruments 10~13 match, the system platform 1 will not perform the subsequent steps; on the contrary, if the configuration data of the test instruments 10~13 is not matched successfully, even if the system time information matches, the system Platform 1 will also not perform subsequent steps. Only when the time information of the system platform 1 and the configuration information of the test instruments 10 to 13 are correct at the same time, the system platform 1 allows the test instruments 10 to 13 to start the test program to perform the test steps on the object under test 40 .

The following main description takes the system time information as an example. Assuming that the system time information (ie, the first execution time point) required by the test command to execute the test program is T2, the authorization audit key 30 will check whether the first execution time point T2 is later than the authorization start time point. T0. Taking the example of FIG. 2 as an example, the first execution time point T2 is indeed later than the authorization start time point T0. The authority audit key 30 can generate an audit pass signal accordingly, and the test instruments 10 to 13 will not start the test program until the audit pass signal is received. Of course, the authority audit key 30 can also generate an audit pass signal based on other judgment conditions. For example, the authority audit key 30 checks the sequence relationship between the first execution time point T2 and the authorization start time point T0. 30 also checks the sequence relationship between the first execution time point T2 and the authorization termination time point T1. For example, the authorization audit key 30 checks whether the first execution time point T2 is earlier than the authorization termination time point T1. In practice, when the first execution time point T2 is later than the authorization start time point T0, and the first execution time point T2 is earlier than the authorization termination time point T1, it means that the time when the interface device 12 sends a test instruction to start executing the test program is a valid authorization period. (The first execution time point T2 is between the authorization start time point T0 and the authorization termination time point T1 ). At this time, the authorization audit key 30 can generate an audit pass signal, so that the test instruments 10 to 13 can start the test program.

On the contrary, those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field should understand that if the authorization audit key 30 checks that the first execution time point T2 is earlier than the authorization start time point T0, it means that the authorization period has not yet arrived, or the operation has not yet been opened to customers. At this time, the authority audit key 30 will not generate an audit pass signal, so as to prevent the customer from starting to use the system platform 1 prematurely. In addition, if the authority audit key 30 checks that the first execution time point T2 is later than the authorization termination time point T1, it means that the authorization period has passed, and the authority audit key 30 also does not generate an audit pass signal to avoid overdue use by the customer. In other words, by checking the first execution time point T2, the authorization start time point T0 and the authorization termination time point T1, the authorization audit key 30 can determine whether the authorization period is currently in effect.

On the other hand, when the user operation interface device 20 issues a test command to request to end the test procedure, the authorization check key 30 will also check the system time information included in the test command. Assuming that the system time information (ie the first stop time point) required by the test command to end the test program is T3, at this time, the authorization audit key 30 will detect that the test program has ended, and update the authorization start time point T0 to the first stop time point T3 time. That is to say, this embodiment does not only record the first stop time point T3, but uses the first stop time point T3 of the previous test program as the new authorization start time point T0 after the previous test program ends. Therefore, when the interface device 12 sends a test command to start the test program next time, the authorization start time point T0 checked by the authority audit key 30 is the first stop time point T3 of the previous time. To put it simply, the new authorization start time T0 will be moved backward and closer to the authorization termination time point T1. In this way, modifying the policy at the authorization start time point T0 will shorten the authorization period after each use.

Of course, in practice, there may still be users who try to provide the wrong first stop time point T3 to the authorization audit key 30, for example, by deliberately modifying the system time information of the interface device 20, so that the interface device 20 can issue a test command to request to end the test program , contains incorrect system time information. For convenience of description, please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 together. FIG. 3 is an operation sequence diagram of an automated test system according to another embodiment of the present invention. Taking the example of FIG. 3 as an example, since the first execution time point T2 is between the authorization start time point T0 and the authorization termination time point T1, the authority audit key 30 will determine that it is currently in a valid authorization period, so that the authority audit key 30 can allow the test Instruments 10~13 start the test program. However, it is assumed that the user intentionally modifies the system time information of the interface device 20 , so that the interface device 20 sends out a test command to request to end the test procedure including the wrong system time information, that is, the wrong first stop time point T4 . At this time, the erroneous first stop time point T4 may be modified to be earlier than the first execution time point T2 as in FIG. 3 , it seems that the test program is stopped before it is started, and there is obviously a logical problem.

In order to deal with this kind of problem of deliberately modifying the system time information, the authority audit key 30 of this embodiment can perform an extra layer of checking before the update authorization start time point T0. For example, the authority audit key 30 may first check whether the first execution time point T2 is earlier than the first stop time point T4. Normally, the first execution time point T2 should be earlier than the first stop time point T4. Taking the example of FIG. 3 as an example, because the user maliciously modifies the system time information of the interface device 20 , the first stop time point T4 is earlier than the first execution time point T2 . In one example, when the authority audit key 30 detects that the first stop time point T4 is earlier than the first execution time point T2, the system platform 1 can automatically issue a warning notification to remind the operator. In addition to this, it is more important that the authorization audit key 30 should be correctly updated at the authorization start time point T0.

To sum up, the open-architecture automated test system provided by the present invention with the authority audit module, by setting the authority audit key that cannot be bypassed on the system, and using the authority audit key to determine the inspection authorization period, avoids the need for customers to Modify the system internal time to avoid checks during authorization. In addition, when the authorization audit key provided by the present invention is paired with the system platform, the system platform allows the test instrument to start the test program to perform the test steps of the object under test when the configuration data of the test instrument and the two data during the authorization period are correct at the same time.

1: System Platform 10~13: Test equipment 14: input/output port 20: Interface Device 30: Permission audit key 40: Object to be tested T0: Authorization start time T1: Authorization termination time point T2: The first execution time point T3: The first stop time T4: The first stop time

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an open-architecture automated test system with an authority audit module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation sequence diagram of an open-architecture automated test system with an authority audit module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operation sequence diagram of an open-architecture automated testing system with an authority auditing module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

1: System Platform

10~13: Test equipment

14: input/output port

20: Interface Device

30: Permission audit key

40: Object to be tested

Claims (8)

An open-frame automated test system with an authority audit module, comprising: At least one test instrument has a configuration message; a system platform electrically connected to the test instrument and having an input/output port; an authorization audit key, which stores a data of the authorization start time and authorization termination time point of the system platform and a configuration message corresponding to the test instruments of the test system, and the configuration message contains a configuration data of the test instrument, for plugging into the input/output port; and an interface device electrically connected to the system platform for providing a test command; Wherein, a test command is operated through the interface device to the test instrument through the system platform, the authority audit key checks the data of the system platform and the configuration data of the test instrument are both correct, and the test command allows the test The instrument executes the corresponding test program. The automated test system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the test instrument receives the test command, if the configuration data of the test instrument is correct, the authority audit key checks whether a first execution time point in the test command is After the start time of the authorization, the test instrument decides whether to start the test procedure accordingly. The automated testing system of claim 2, wherein when the first execution time point is later than the authorization start time point, the authority audit key generates an audit pass signal, and the test instrument starts the test program according to the audit pass signal. The automated testing system of claim 3, wherein when the first execution time point is not later than the authorization start time point, the authority audit key does not generate the audit pass signal. The automated test system as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the test instrument receives the test command, the authority audit key further checks whether the first execution time point is earlier than the authorization termination time point, and the test instrument determines whether to Start the test program. The automated testing system of claim 1, wherein before the authorization start time point is updated by the authorization audit key to the first stop time point, the authorization audit key checks whether the first execution time point is earlier than the first stop time point time. The automated testing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein when the authorization check key checks that the first execution time point is not earlier than the first stop time point, and if the configuration data of the test instrument is correct, the authorization check key checks the The first execution time point accumulates an internal timer value to obtain a real stop time point, and the authority audit key updates the authorization start time point to the real stop time point. An authorization check key is used to be inserted into at least one input/output port provided by a system platform, the system platform configuration includes at least one test instrument and an interface device, and the authorization check key has: Stores one of the data of the authorization start time and authorization termination time point of the system platform; and storing a configuration message corresponding to the test instruments on the system platform, the configuration message having a configuration data of the test instruments; Wherein, a test command is issued to the test instrument through the system platform through the operation of the interface device, and the authority audit key checks the data of the system platform and the configuration data of the test instrument are correct at the same time, and the test command allows the test instrument The test instrument executes the corresponding test program.

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