Designing Next Generation Test Systems - An In-Depth Developers Guide

Test managers and engineers use automated test systems in applications ranging from design validation to end-of-line production test to equipment repair diagnostics with the goal of ensuring the quality and reliability of a product that reaches the end customer. They can use automated test systems to perform simple "pass" or "fail" tests or a whole range of product characterization measurements. As it grows exponentially more expensive to detect flaws later in the design cycle, automated test systems have quickly become an even more important part of the product development process. This developer guide describes the challenges that continue to pressure engineering teams to reduce the cost and time of test. It also provides insight into how test managers and engineers are overcoming these challenges by building modular, software-defined test systems that significantly increase test system throughput and flexibility while reducing overall cost.