N121-027 TITLE: Automated Support System for the Development and Maintenance of TPSs

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA 275

RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is "ITAR Restricted". The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data. Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected.

OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative set of test program set (TPS) related tools based on signal models to enable translation of test requirements from different sources (e.g., human, text fields, and test program code) into standard schemas, development and analysis of standard signal libraries, and semantic awareness of the test requirements and automatic test equipment (ATE) capabilities.

DESCRIPTION: Historically, TPSs were designed specifically for the ATE on which they were intended to be executed. This design was acceptable as long as the ATE remained unchanged or the unit under test (UUT) was not enhanced. However, if either the ATE or UUT was modified, it was very difficult to change the TPS because the data related to the UUT test requirements and ATE instrument capabilities were embedded in nonstandard test programming language software. This problem was intensified by events such as the eventual replacement of the ATE system due to obsolescence or by the need to re-host the TPS on an alternate ATE to achieve maintenance objectives. The use of nonstandard test data and programming languages is one of the difficulties that the Department of Defense�s (DOD�s) automatic test system (ATS) framework was designed to alleviate.

The DOD ATS framework was sponsored by the DOD ATS Management Board (AMB) to achieve an open systems approach in DOD ATS. The framework contains a set of elements that are to be satisfied by industry standards and that, when applied, would reduce ATS life cycle costs while improving interoperability among different ATSs. A key area of the framework, the definition of UUT test requirements and ATE instrument capabilities, is achieved by using models of electrical stimulus and measurement signals that conform to industry standards. These signal representations are collected into groups called signal model libraries. Building TPS-related tools based on signal models would allow for plug-and-play capabilities of reusable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) tools. In addition, these signal libraries are necessary for the development of UUT model-based programming that is required to bridge the gaps between UUT requirements, the tester, and the instrumentation. However, the definition of these signal libraries has only just begun in industry, and more complex areas, such as advanced radio frequency (RF) and digital communications, have not been addressed at all. This topic will allow for advanced research into the development and utilization of complex signal models in both the UUT and the ATS arena.

The proposed tool must leverage ATS framework elements in order to ensure accurate and unambiguous mapping of UUT test strategies and test requirements to the identification, location, and configuration of resources required for the development and implementation of test programs. Historically, these types of analyses were performed manually. However, manual analyses present problems, including loss of information related to how the mapping was performed, lack of ability to reuse the mapping on other ATE, lack of an automated means to verify TPSs upon development, and possible human error.

The proposed tool set will need to perform the following functions. First, a tool must analyze legacy test programs (which were previously not based on industry standards) and place the programs in industry-standard Automated Test Markup Language (ATML) schemas. A second tool must interpret human text and test data files and translate the further requirements into the ATML format. A third tool must analyze the ATML test requirements against ATE capabilities via mathematical signal models. A critical aspect of the work performed under this topic is to define test requirements and capabilities by using mathematical signal libraries, which have yet to be defined by an industry-standard working group (especially RF and electro-optics [EO]). These signal modeling libraries should result in improved test and diagnostics quality due to more formal definitions, which are interoperable across ATS and can be used by COTS tools to manage test requirements across Navy and DOD UUTs. Since the signal modeling libraries will be based on industry standards, the developed tools will be able to work with other commercial tool sets created independently of this effort. The tools must also be able to support multiple phases of the TPS and ATS life cycle, especially development, operation, and maintenance. The tool(s) should be capable of reading text entered by humans or found in test data files to supplement the test strategy and requirement information. The tool(s) should be capable of being expanded to provide the functional information required to match capabilities of testers, instruments, and test requirements. Finally, the developed tool(s) should be able to analyze the ATML test requirements against ATE capabilities via signal models for both the requirements and capabilities.

The proposed tool will improve instrument interchange, provide faster technology insertion, improve TPS re-host and interoperability, and promote model-based programming techniques. In fact, the use of a standards-based approach will enable TPS information to be transferred across DOD organizations.

PHASE I: Investigate and analyze test methods, specifications, and capabilities used in testing on current Navy ATS. Develop a sample signal library by utilizing industry schemas and standards. Identify and analyze selected TPSs. Demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed tool set�s ability to retrieve pertinent test data from legacy TPSs to support a TPS development and maintenance effort (i.e., test strategy, requirements, and test methods) and to convert the test data to ATML format. Present how ATML test requirements may be analyzed against ATE capabilities via signal models for both the requirements and the capabilities.

PHASE II: Complete the development of prototype automated tool(s) and demonstrate the ability to translate test data from legacy TPSs into ATML format.

PHASE III: Finalize the technology and transition to appropriate customers and platforms.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The need to improve TPSs is common throughout the DOD and industry, as is the pressure of reduced budgets. The tools and test definition libraries will not only reduce the cost and efforts of re-hosting TPSs from legacy testers to new open system ATS, but will also provide the mechanism to develop class libraries that will address the needs of current and emerging technologies and their associated TPSs.

REFERENCES:
1. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Automatic Test Markup Language. (IEEE STD 1671). doi: 10.1109/IEEESTD.2011.5706290

2. IEEE AUTOTESTCON Proceedings (various papers on ATML, Standards, and ATS Framework topics). Retrieved from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/dynhome.jsp.

3. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. (2005). Standard for signal and test definition. (IEEE STD1641). doi: 10.1109/IEEESTD.2005.95928

4. The Department of Defense. The DoD Automatic Test System Framework Roadmap. Retrieved from http://www.acq.osd.mil/ats.

KEYWORDS: Semantic Awareness, Signal Modeling, Automatic Test System (ATS), Test Signal Framework, Automatic Test Equipment (ATE), Digital Communication

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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