TWI387756B - Automatic testing system, instrument controlling apparatus, and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Description

Automatic test system, instrument control device and operation method thereof

The present invention relates to automated testing and, in particular, to an automated test system, instrumentation apparatus, and method of operation that can provide a user-friendly interface to simplify the programming of test command sets.

In recent years, with the continuous development of technology, various electronic devices need to carry out relevant testing procedures before the development stage or before the products are manufactured, to ensure that the electronic products can meet the requirements of safety regulations and product specifications.

In general, in the automatic test systems that are currently available on the market, the human-machine interface for writing test command sets is designed in the following two ways. The first way is: the human machine interface of the automatic test system writes all test commands line by line like typing, as shown in Figure 1. The biggest disadvantage of this method is that the operator must memorize the name of each test command and must follow the written format defined by the automatic test system. Therefore, this method is not only difficult to perform, but also requires considerable professionalism and skill. The operator is competent and takes a long time.

The other way is: the human-machine interface of the automatic test system first lists all the test commands, and even classifies all the test commands through the tree structure, as shown in Figure 2, when the user clicks on the editor. When the test command "SetAllLOAD_InputState" in the tree structure above the window, the test command edit column below the edit window will automatically list this test.

command. In this way, when the user operates the human-machine interface of the automatic test system, the "click-through" method can be used to replace the traditional "progressive typing" method to complete the test command set. It reduces the difficulty of the actual operation of the operator, and can also shorten part of the operation time.

However, as the functions of electronic products become more and more complicated, more and more functional items need to be tested. Taking the automatic test system of switching power supply as an example, it is the length of the control command corresponding to a single functional test item. It is often as many as hundreds or even thousands of lines. As for the content of the control command set required for the entire switched power test, it is even larger. Even if the method of "clicking" is quite wasteful, it will seriously affect various electronic devices. R&D testing and time-to-market.

Therefore, the main scope of the present invention is to provide an automatic test system, an instrument control device and a method for operating the same that can provide a user-friendly operation interface to solve the above problems.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide an automated test system. According to a specific embodiment, the automatic test system includes a plurality of instruments and an instrument control device. In this embodiment, the instrument control device is configured to control the plurality of instruments to respectively test a test object. In fact, the plurality of instruments can be various test instruments, but not limited thereto.

In this embodiment, the instrument control device will display an operation screen including one of the plurality of operation units, wherein the plurality of operation units respectively correspond to different functions or operation states of the plurality of instruments. During a specific time interval, the instrument control device will record at least one operation step performed by the user on the operation screen and accordingly generate a log file. Actually, the specific time interval is from the beginning of the recording time to the end of the recording time, and the start recording time and the end recording time are determined by the user.

Another aspect of the invention provides an instrument control device. According to a specific embodiment, the instrument control device of the present invention is applied to an automatic test system, and the automatic test system includes a plurality of instruments for respectively testing a test object.

In this embodiment, the instrument control device includes a display module and a recording module. The display module is configured to display an operation screen including one of the plurality of operation units. The plurality of operating units respectively correspond to different functions or operating states of the plurality of instruments. The recording module is configured to record at least one operation step performed by the user on the operation screen and generate a record file according to a specific time interval.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of operating an automated test system. The automatic test system comprises a plurality of instruments and an instrument control device, wherein the instrument control device is configured to control the plurality of instruments to respectively test a test object. According to a specific embodiment, the automatic test system operation method of the present invention comprises the following steps: (a) the instrument control device displays an operation screen including one of a plurality of operation units, wherein the plurality of operation units respectively correspond to the plurality of instruments And (b) during a specific time interval, the instrument control device records at least one operational step performed by the user on the operation screen and accordingly generates a log file.

Compared with the prior art, the automatic test system, the instrument control device and the operation method thereof according to the present invention can provide a more user-friendly operation interface. Through this operation interface, the user does not need to memorize the names and parameters of all test commands. Content, only need to actually operate the various process steps of the test, the instrument control device will simultaneously record the operation history of all the test instrument functions or buttons during the operation period, and automatically convert it into the automatic test system. The test command set can greatly reduce the time and spirit spent by the original operator in writing the test command set, and effectively shorten the time and duration of various electronic equipment R&D tests and product launches.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

A first embodiment in accordance with the present invention is an automated test system. Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a functional block diagram of the automatic test system. As shown in FIG. 3, the automatic test system 1 includes an instrument control device 10, a first instrument 11, a second instrument 12, and a third instrument 13. The first instrument 11, the second instrument 12, and the third instrument 13 are all coupled to the instrument control device 10. In practical applications, the first instrument 11 to the third instrument 13 can be any type of test instrument, such as a load module, a power source, etc., but not limited thereto. In addition, the number of instruments included in the automatic test system 1 may be determined according to the actual test requirements, and is not limited to the three of the examples.

In this embodiment, the main function of the instrument control device 10 of the automatic test system 1 is to control the first instrument 11, the second instrument 12, and the third instrument 13 to test a test object, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3 , the instrument control device 10 includes a setting module 100 , a display module 102 , a recording module 104 , and an editing module 106 . The display module 102 is coupled to the setting module 100 and the recording module 104. The recording module 104 is coupled to the setting module 100 and the editing module 106. Next, each module included in the instrument control device 10 and its functions will be described in detail.

First, before actually testing a test object, the user needs to manually set the type, number, and arrangement of the plurality of operation units in the operation screen displayed by the display module 102 through the setting module 100, and A correspondence between a plurality of operating units and different functions or operational states of the first to third instruments 11 to 13. In fact, the operation screen can be realized by the computer graphics controller software, but not limited thereto; the plurality of operation units can be displayed on the operation screen by the knob, the button, the adjustment scroll and/or the input box, but not This is limited to this.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which is an example of an operation unit displayed on the operation screen. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation screen 2 includes load operation units (CC, CV, and CP) 21 to 23, a load value adjustment knob 24, a close button 25, an oscilloscope screen 26, a waveform button 27, and a voltage. An operation unit such as a numerical adjustment knob 28, a frequency value adjustment knob 29, a voltage value (V) display frame 30, and a current value (I) display frame 31 are obtained.

It should be noted that the types, the number, and the arrangement of the operation units 21 to 31 displayed on the operation screen 2 can be set by the user through the setting module 100 in advance according to actual needs. When the user adds an operation unit to the operation screen 2 through the setting module 100, the test instrument and the test command corresponding to the operation unit must also be selected, and the information will be stored in a comparison table. Then, each time the user activates the instrument control device 10, the instrument control device 10 sequentially creates the operation units displayed on the operation screen 2 according to the contents of the data stored in the comparison table, and each operation unit also corresponds to one operation unit. Instrument control commands.

For example, it is assumed in the comparison table that the type of the load operation unit (CC) 21 is "button", the position is (10, 60), and the corresponding control command is "SetLoad_Mode, 0". When the user activates the instrument control device 10, the instrument control device 10 sets a CC button at the position of X=10 and Y=60 of the operation screen 2 according to the content of the comparison table, when the CC button is clicked by the user. When the instrument control device 10 sends a control command of "SetLoad_Mode" to the corresponding load device, the parameter value is 0.

Then, after the user has completed all the setting operations through the setting module 100, at least one operation step can be started through each operation unit displayed on the operation screen 2. In this embodiment, the recording module 104 of the instrument control device 10 is configured to record at least one operation step performed by the user on the operation screen during a specific time interval and accordingly generate a log file. In fact, the specific time interval is from the beginning of the recording time to the end of the recording time, and the starting recording time and the ending recording time can be determined by the user. In addition, the at least one operation step may include inputting a numerical value or an instruction, selecting/controlling the operation unit by a mouse, and/or clicking/controlling the operation unit by a touch control, but is not limited thereto.

That is to say, when the user draws up the test plan, the recording function can be started. During the period from the start of recording to the stop of recording, the user selects the order and interval of the operation unit through the mouse or touch mode. The value, as well as the value entered through the keyboard, and the name of the test command transmitted to the test instrument, are recorded by the recording module 104 of the instrument control device 10. Next, the operation screen 2 shown in FIG. 4 will be described as an example.

Assume that after the user starts the recording function, after the interval of 500ms, the voltage value adjustment knob 28 is rotated to 110 by the left mouse button, and then released, and after the interval of 400ms, the user will use the left mouse button again. After the frequency value adjustment knob 29 is rotated to 60 and then released, after the interval of 600 ms, the user rotates the load value adjustment knob 24 to 1 by the left mouse button and then releases. At this time, the recording module 104 generates a recording file according to the operation history of the user during the period of time. FIG. 5 shows an example of the recording file generated by the recording module 104 according to the above operation history.

Since the log file has recorded an operation history of the user operating a plurality of operation units during the specific time interval, and the operation history includes an operation sequence, a test command, a value, and a time interval between each operation step, The user can appropriately edit the log file through the editing module 106 to generate an automatic test system control command set.

In summary, the automatic test system disclosed in this embodiment can provide a more user-friendly operation interface, so that the user does not need to memorize the names and parameter contents of all test commands, and the instrument control device is actually operated by the user. The process steps of various tests simultaneously record all the user's operating history and automatically convert them into the test command set required for the automatic test system to execute.

A second embodiment in accordance with the present invention is an instrument control device for use in an automated test system. In this embodiment, the automatic test system includes a plurality of instruments for testing a test object separately. The instrument control device comprises a setting module, a display module, a recording module and an editing module. The display module is coupled to the setting module and the recording module; the recording module is coupled to the setting module and the editing module.

In this embodiment, the setting module is configured to allow the user to set the type, number, and arrangement of the plurality of operating units on the operation screen, and different functions or operating states of the plurality of operating units and the plurality of instruments. Correspondence between the two. The display module is used to display an operation screen including the plurality of operation units. The recording module records at least one operation step performed by the user on the operation screen and generates a log file according to a specific time interval. The editing module is used by the user to edit the log file to generate an automatic test system control command set. For details of the instrument control device, refer to the instrument control device and its illustration in the first embodiment, which will not be further described herein.

A third embodiment of the present invention is a method of operating an automated test system. The automatic test system comprises a plurality of instruments and an instrument control device, wherein the instrument control device is configured to control the plurality of instruments to respectively test a test object. Please refer to FIG. 6 , which is a flow chart showing the operation method of the automatic test system. As shown in FIG. 6, the automatic test system operation method firstly performs steps S10 and S11, respectively setting the types, numbers and arrangement of the plurality of operation units displayed on the operation screen, and setting different functions of the plurality of operation units and the plurality of instruments. Or the correspondence between operational states. Actually, the order of execution of steps S10 and S11 is not limited.

Then, the automatic test system operation method performs step S12, and causes the instrument control device to display an operation screen including the plurality of operation units. In fact, the operation screen can be realized by the computer graphics controller software, but not limited thereto; the plurality of operation units can be displayed on the operation screen by a knob, a button, an adjustment axis or an input box. . Then, the automatic test system operation method performs step S13, and causes the instrument control device to record at least one operation step performed by the user on the operation screen and generate a record file in a specific time interval. In fact, the specific time interval is from the beginning of the recording time to the end of the recording time, and the starting recording time and the ending recording time are determined by the user.

In addition, the log file may record an operation history of the user operating the plurality of operation units during the specific time interval, the operation history including an operation sequence, a test command, a numerical value, and a time interval between each operation step. The at least one operation step may include inputting a value or an instruction, clicking/controlling the operation unit with a mouse, and/or clicking/controlling the operation unit by touch.

Since the log file has recorded an operation history of the user operating a plurality of operation units during the specific time interval, and the operation history includes an operation sequence, a test command, a value, and a time interval between each operation step, The automatic test system operation method can further perform step S14 to edit the log file to generate an automatic test system control command set.

Compared with the prior art, the automatic test system, the instrument control device and the operation method thereof according to the present invention can provide a more user-friendly operation interface. Through this operation interface, the user does not need to memorize the names and parameters of all test commands. Content, only need to actually operate the various process steps of the test, the instrument control device will simultaneously record the operation history of all the test instrument functions or buttons during the operation period, and automatically convert it into the automatic test system. The test command set can greatly reduce the time and spirit spent by the original operator in writing the test command set, and effectively shorten the time and duration of various electronic equipment R&D tests and product launches.

The features and spirit of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover various modifications and equivalents within the scope of the invention as claimed.

S10~S14. . . Process step

1. . . Automatic test system

10. . . Instrument control device

11. . . First instrument

12. . . Second instrument

13. . . Third instrument

100. . . Setting module

102. . . Display module

104. . . Recording module

106. . . Editing module

2. . . Operation screen

21~23. . . Load operating unit

twenty four. . . Load value adjustment knob

25. . . Close button

26. . . Oscilloscope screen

27. . . Get waveform button

28. . . Voltage value adjustment knob

29. . . Frequency value adjustment knob

30. . . Get voltage value display box

31. . . Get current value display box

Figure 1 and Figure 2 are schematic diagrams showing the traditional writing methods of two different test command sets.

Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing an automatic test system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an example of an operating unit displayed in the operation screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a recording file generated by the recording module according to the above operation history.

Figure 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the automatic test system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

1. . . Automatic test system

10. . . Instrument control device

11. . . First instrument

12. . . Second instrument

13. . . Third instrument

100. . . Setting module

102. . . Display module

104. . . Recording module

106. . . Editing module

Claims (24)

An automatic test system comprising: a plurality of instruments; and an instrument control device coupled to the plurality of instruments for controlling the plurality of instruments to respectively test a test object, the instrument control device display comprising a plurality of operations One of the unit operating screens, the plurality of operating units respectively corresponding to different functions or operating states of the plurality of instruments, wherein the instrument control device records at least one performed by the user on the operation screen during a specific time interval Operation steps and accordingly generate a log file. The automatic test system of claim 1, wherein the specific time interval is from a start recording time to an end recording time, and the start recording time and the end recording time are determined by a user. The automatic test system of claim 1, wherein the record file records an operation history of the user operating the plurality of operation units during the specific time interval, the operation history includes an operation sequence, a test command, The value and the time interval between each operation step. The automatic test system of claim 1, wherein the log file can be edited to become an automatic test system control command set. The automatic test system of claim 1, wherein the at least one operation step comprises inputting a value or an instruction, clicking/controlling the operation unit with a mouse, and/or clicking/controlling the operation unit by touch. The automatic test system of claim 1, wherein the type, number and arrangement of the plurality of operation units displayed on the operation screen are set by a user. The automatic test system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operating units are displayed on the operation screen in a pattern of a knob, a button, an adjustment scroll, and/or an input box. The automatic test system of claim 1, wherein the correspondence between the plurality of operating units and different functions or operating states of the plurality of instruments is set by a user. An instrument control device is applied to an automatic test system, the automatic test system includes a plurality of instruments for respectively testing a test object, the instrument control device comprising: a display module for displaying a plurality of An operation unit, wherein the plurality of operation units respectively correspond to different functions or operation states of the plurality of instruments; and a recording module coupled to the display module, the recording module is at a specific time During the interval, at least one operation step performed by the user on the operation screen is recorded and a log file is generated accordingly. The instrument control device of claim 9, wherein the specific time interval is from a start recording time to an end recording time, and the start recording time and the end recording time are determined by a user. The instrument control device of claim 9, wherein the record file records an operation history of the user operating the plurality of operation units during the specific time interval, the operation history includes an operation sequence, a test command, The value and the time interval between each operation step. The instrument control device of claim 9, further comprising: an editing module coupled to the recording module for editing the log file to generate an automatic test system control command set. The instrument control device of claim 9, wherein the at least one operation step comprises inputting a numerical value or an instruction, selecting/controlling the operation unit with a mouse, and/or clicking/controlling the operation unit by touch. The instrument control device of claim 9 further comprising: a setting module coupled to the display module for the user to set the type and number of the plurality of operating units in the operation screen Arrange the situation. The instrument control device of claim 14, wherein the user can also set a correspondence between the plurality of operating units and different functions or operating states of the plurality of instruments through the setting module. The instrument control device according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of operation units are displayed on the operation screen in a form of a knob, a button, an adjustment reel and/or an input frame. A method for operating an automatic test system, the automatic test system comprising a plurality of instruments and an instrument control device, wherein the instrument control device is configured to control the plurality of instruments to respectively test a test object, the method comprising the following steps: The instrument control device displays an operation screen including one of a plurality of operation units, wherein the plurality of operation units respectively correspond to different functions or operation states of the plurality of instruments; and the instrument control device records and uses during a specific time interval At least one operational step performed on the operation screen and accordingly generates a log file. The method of claim 17, wherein the specific time interval is from a start recording time to an end recording time, and the start recording time and the end recording time are determined by a user. The method of claim 17, wherein the record file records an operation history of the user operating the plurality of operation units during the specific time interval, the operation history including an operation sequence, a test command, a value, and The time interval between each operation step. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of editing the log file to generate an automatic test system control command set. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one operating step comprises inputting a value or an instruction, selecting/controlling the operating unit with a mouse, and/or clicking/controlling the operating unit by touch. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of: setting the type, number, and arrangement of the plurality of operating units displayed on the operation screen. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of setting a correspondence between the plurality of operating units and different functions or operating states of the plurality of instruments. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of operating units are displayed on the operation screen in the form of a knob, a button, an adjustment axis or an input frame.