Signal management techniques for a reconfigurable test environment

The key to designing a reconfigurable test system is the handling of test signal routing and compensation of the test station´s effect on the signal´s characteristics. Signal routing must be maintainable, versatile, and dynamic to meet the requirements of today´s large test station designs. Test stations are being required to test more types of units with the same assets. Additionally, stations are being designed with a core set of instrumentation and the addition of support augmentation equipment for more specialized unit testing. Signal handling must consider both the software and hardware aspects of a test system design. The test software should allow for signal routing specific to a station´s design and not to the Test Program Set´s (TPSs) design. By linking the signal routing to the station, a TPS becomes portable from station to station. Signal compensation must account for losses and delays due to the station´s design. Techniques should be utilized that minimize the number of samples for creating proper compensation tables. It is with a thorough understanding of the required test accuracy and test station´s characteristics that an efficient design approach may be achieved. It is the intent of this paper to discuss and provide a design methodology that supports each of these factors