Dynamic sequencing of test programs

A novel ATE (automatic test equipment) test program development/execution concept employed at Harris is discussed, Test program sets are constructed as a collection of atomic tests (i.e., independent, totally encapsulated tests) whose sequence is determined by a test manager with adaptive reasoning. The tests can be independently constructed and compiled, allowing for more parallel development and reduced maintenance costs. Communication between tests is achieved through a common data storage, and the setup conditions are reconciled by a single setup test module whose actions are directed by a state vector. The test manager employs experiential data to adjust relative failure probabilities in optimally sequencing the atomic tests