System and method for performing processing in a testing system

US7869986B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventors

• Barry E. Blancha · Boxborough, US
• Leszek Janusz Lechowicz · Bridgewater, US
• Stephen S. Helm · Marlborough, US
• Sean Patrick Adam · Wrentham, US
• Jorge Camargo · Westford, US
• Carlos Heil · Norwood, US
• Paulo Mendes · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 10, 2007
• Grant date: Jan 11, 2011
• Expiry date: Jun 29, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/3183
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system and method is provided for performing processing in a test system. A flexible platform may be provided for developing test programs for performing automated testing. In one such platform, the tester and its instruments are isolated from the tester operating system, permitting any tester operating system to be used. In another example implementation, a user layer of the platform is isolated from the physical layer of the architecture, permitting hardware-independent test programs that can be created and used among different testers having different test hardware and software. In yet another implementation, execution of a test program is isolated from a tester platform operating system, permitting the test program to function independent from the tester platform. In another embodiment, functionality is implemented on the platform such that functions are only added, and that existing links to functions are not broken, ensuring continued test system operation when new software, hardware and/or features are added to the platform. The test system may include a non-deterministic computer system. In one example test system, the system forces execution of one or more computer instr…