Developing new Automatic Test Equipments (ATE) using systematic design approaches

Keeping Automatic Test Equipments (ATE) current with technology is one of the major challenges in automatic testing world. Needs and priorities can quickly evolve throughout the life cycle of ATEs and handling obsolescence via performing upgrades on hardware and software can be impossible after several years. While developing Test Program Sets (TPS), if existing ATE systems cannot meet the necessary requirements without inserting extra test devices or decreasing test coverage, then designing a new ATE can be seen inevitable. If a new ATE system is to be designed, it is very crucial that the requirements for the new ATE system should be identified before design process begins. Determining the requirements is a very critical stage in designing ATE because if enough effort is not focused and extended analysis is not carried out on determining the requirements, then the newly formed ATE system will likely fail to cover the test requirements of the DUTs. Setting up the hardware and software architecture is the next stage after the process of determining the requirements of the ATE system. Practical and cost effective solutions should be considered without compromising performance and capabilities of the test devices. The architectures should be suitable for future enhancements to the system. Throughout the design process, the design requirements, critical design descriptions, verification and validation procedures should be clearly documented and reviewed with relevant engineers. In this paper, the design process of a new ATE system by using systematic design approach is discussed. This process is followed during the design of the ATE system which is under use from the beginning of the year 2013. The challenges in the design process, determining the requirements and the formation of hardware and software architecture are explained in detail benefiting from real experiences.