Automated test software: Separated and integrated

Effective automated test equipment is built upon the idea of abstracted layers to provide a flexible, robust, and comprehensive test environment. The layers must be plentiful and each one offer abstracted abilities of lower layers. In addition, if a layer is absent, the lack of that layer must not disrupt the ability to use lower ones; a layer must be independent of any higher (observer) layers. This paper focuses on the highest level software layers that are essential to making an effective and reusable user interface.