Rapid prototyping ATE software with CASE

The authors focus on the use of computer aided software engineering (CASE) tools to reduce risk in the software design phase and to provide a validation mechanism that can be used throughout the software development process. An automatic test equipment (ATE) software engineering project was selected as the testbed for two CASE tools to be used in rapid prototype development. The internal system software translates common language instrument commands into native instrument commands sent over the IEEE-488 bus. The software process follows the waterfall model and MIL-STD-2167A with requirements definition, software design, implementation, and test. The high-level design phase made use of data flow diagrams, state machines, and mini-specifications under the management of a widely used CASE tool. The diagrams and specifications were then used as input to a rapid prototyping CASE tool to simulate the system, providing a validation mechanism. A discussion of the software design is included, as is a technique for determining when to convert the design from one CASE design representation to another. The advantages and disadvantages of each tool are also discussed.<>