Smart devices require smarter test systems

1. Smart devices

For many people, the Internet of Things (IoT) is already a reality. As we control our Nest thermostats with our smartphones, use wristbands to track our steps, and watch videos on our tablets, we are already enjoying the benefits of these sensing, connecting, and computing devices. But even for early adopters, the IoT is only in its infancy. Gartner estimates that the number of connected devices will soon exceed the number of humans, and by 2022, each home will have more than 500 connected devices.

2. Far smarter than a smart device under test (DUT)

How can we make the test system intelligent? This requires flexible software-defined I/O modules to sense the correct connection for synchronization and data transmission (whether locally or in the cloud), and more powerful computing power for signal processing, which is where smart devices play the greatest role.  

NI enables smarter test systems with automated test methods. With a platform that was developed from the ground up for customization, whether through the latest commercial technology or expertise, you are part of a living, breathing, and evolving ecosystem that is committed to providing innovative automated test methods for a wide range of industries. No other test and measurement technology company invests more R&D funds than NI to upgrade the intelligence of test systems, and no other supplier has such a long track record of growth and such close partnerships with customers. And this is just the beginning.
Read this article to learn how to build smarter test systems with an open platform and a vibrant ecosystem to meet the test needs of smart devices.

3. A platform designed for customization

All technology vendors talk about platforms. For large engineering teams, the application of hierarchy and modularity is the key to efficient development. Abandoning a platform-based approach means that every time the system encounters a bottleneck, you usually have to redevelop it from scratch. In the past, you might have been able to extend this necessity for years or even decades, but now the rapid pace of innovation of smart devices often catches us off guard.

Therefore, all test and measurement vendors use platforms in one form or another to develop product features for the user. However, this does not mean that all platforms are the same. Some platforms are designed purely to improve internal design efficiency. If an oscilloscope vendor can use the same computing circuit daughter board for all oscilloscopes, it means that they are using a common platform in their designs, even if the oscilloscopes have different sampling rates, bandwidths, or screen sizes. The customer does not see or interact with the computing "platform", but it can help the vendor release new oscilloscopes more quickly, and this is the value of the platform.

4. Platform-based ecosystem

Once you agree that user-customizable platforms are key to keeping pace with the innovation of smart devices, you may start to worry about your own customization capabilities. In contrast, for decades, benchtop instruments have provided push-button methods and firmware-based algorithms for common measurements, which provide a high degree of confidence in the validity and traceability of measurements. How can your customized instruments have the same level of confidence? The answer: an ecosystem of custom IP.

The same is true for the iPhone. If everyone had to write all their own apps, the prospect of an App Store would be less appealing. But by creating a truly open platform, coupled with clearly defined APIs and hardware specifications, an ecosystem is built. That’s the secret to the iPhone becoming a multi-billion app download machine, and it’s why NI automated test solutions are the most trusted way to reduce the cost of test.

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The NI ecosystem consists of many parts:

• The User Community—which includes thousands of active users of NI software such as LabVIEW, TestStand, and LabWindows™/CVI. This does not include the number of developers using NI hardware drivers. In many ways, they are facing the same smart device challenges as you and are actively sharing their experiences in the NI online and in-person user communities. If you work in a large, multinational organization, there is a good chance that your company already has an established LabVIEW user group. Test engineers in smaller companies can also use the community to get online help from thousands of enthusiastic peers. Many times, the algorithms or code examples developed by these peers have been reviewed by the community and are available for download through the LabVIEW Tools Network. The NI community provides resources at a scale and speed that we, yours, or any other test vendor's R&D department cannot provide.
• Partners and Integrators - If you have limited resources or domain expertise, you may need expert help. Whether it is simple consulting or turnkey system delivery and support, the NI Alliance Partner Network has more than 1,000 partners around the world ready to help you. Many partners have extensive expertise and experience in similar automated test applications and know how to build intelligent automated test systems that can change and scale as your needs change.
• NI Support - When you need to consult NI, our global team of more than 700 application engineers and system engineers are available to serve you. Based on their proficiency in NI tools, rapid response to customer needs and firm commitment to customer success, the NI support team can help you develop or optimize test and measurement systems to meet your changing needs by phone, email or in person.
• NI Field Engineers - NI has a world-class website that makes it easy for you to gather information and order test equipment. But after you buy, our local sales engineers and internal sales engineers will still keep in close contact with you to understand your needs. You can get answers and advice from engineers who have used the products and are familiar with the product catalog. They can even provide product development roadmaps and life cycle information when appropriate.
• Third-Party Hardware and Software—When an open platform description is made available to the public (through APIs and supported hardware interfaces), it fosters a thriving ecosystem of third-party products. This has been demonstrated for nearly 20 years with PXI, a multivendor standard managed by the PXI Systems Alliance. The volume of third-party software available for download on the LabVIEW Tools Network is also impressive, with more than three million downloads to date. In addition to finding the specific IP you need for your application, the LabVIEW Tools Network provides a platform for you to share your investment in the NI ecosystem and gain certain benefits from it.
• NI Hardware Services—NI provides hardware services to help you achieve the lowest total cost of ownership throughout the life cycle of your system. NI hardware services include repair, replacement, regional spare parts, system configuration and assembly, and different levels of return or on-site calibration options. After selling more than 150,000 PXI systems, calibration and modular instrument after-sales service are core competencies that NI and other certification organizations must seize.

5. Changing the status quo of semiconductor testing

In 2014, we launched the Semiconductor Test System (STS), an intelligent system for production, for RF and mixed signal characterization and production testing . Unlike ATE, which uses a closed architecture, STS uses an open modular architecture that is compatible with the most advanced PXI instruments. This is especially important for RF and mixed signal testing, as the test coverage of traditional ATE often cannot meet the requirements of the latest semiconductor technology.

STS is equipped with TestStand semiconductor module, dedicated version of industry-standard TestStand test management and data analysis software, and LabVIEW system design software, and includes a series of rich features for semiconductor production environment, including a customizable operation interface, handler/prober integration, device-centric programming with pin/channel matching function, standard test data format report generation, and integrated multi-site support. With these features, you can quickly develop, debug and deploy test programs to shorten the overall time to market. In addition, STS has a fully enclosed "zero footprint" test head, integrated "Optimal+ real-time big data" analysis solution, and uses Reid Ashman's standard interface connection and docking mechanism, which can be easily integrated into semiconductor production test units.

Cirrus Logic selected STS for production testing of its Audio-CODEC products that power IoT devices. In a benchmark comparison of test systems, STS beat dedicated closed ATE in the following aspects: speed, test coverage, and price. Based on the comparison results, Cirrus Logic is trying to apply STS to the testing of more products. "STS is about 30% faster. In addition, it meets all other operational requirements we put forward, including cost. In the end, we concluded that it is cheaper to buy STS than to rent traditional ATE," said John Cooke, product and engineering test manager at Cirrus Logic.

“Traditional ATE systems often require high test tool replacement costs as test systems evolve or fail to meet new test requirements, but STS’s open PXI architecture allows us to preserve our original investment and optimize it without having to replace any equipment. It also provides the flexibility we need to reconfigure and expand our test platform to meet our growing performance needs.”
   —Glen E. Peer, Integrated Device Technology Inc. 

6. Changing the status quo of wireless testing

In the automated test value chain, the next step after verifying semiconductor chip functionality is board- and device-level testing of consumer devices. Just as STS adds a rugged enclosure, connectivity options, and specialized software to PXI, we did the same for wireless device testing, launching the Wireless Test System (WTS) in 2015. WTS combines the latest advances in PXI hardware, LabVIEW, and TestStand to provide a unified platform for multi-standard, multi-device, multi-port testing of WLAN access points, mobile phones, infotainment systems, and other multi-standard devices that include cellular, wireless connectivity, and navigation standards.

WTS combines NI PXI vector signal transceiver (VST) and multi-core processing technology to provide industry-leading test speed. Through faster measurements, users can reduce the cost of wireless device manufacturing testing. In terms of software, the TestStand-based wireless test module provides wireless chip manufacturers such as Qualcomm and Broadcom with test sequences that can be run immediately. The SCPI interface allows remote automation based on Ethernet, making it easy to integrate the module into existing production lines.

With these features, users will be able to greatly improve the efficiency of their test equipment and further reduce testing costs. Harman selected WTS to test its emergency call devices and worked with NI Platinum Alliance Partner NOFFZ to integrate WTS directly into the production line. "Using the NI wireless test system, we can test multiple wireless technologies on the same device, including Bluetooth, WIFI, GPS and cellular." Markus Krauss of HARMAN/Becker Automotive Systems said, "WTS and NOFFZ's RF test engineering expertise helped us significantly reduce test time and quickly install and run the test system."

7. Conclusion

As devices under test become increasingly intelligent, a question arises: Can I trust my instrument vendor to innovate fast enough to meet the needs of my business? Perhaps more importantly, is it worth the risk to find out?