Enterprise test software
Encyclopedia
Enterprise test software (ETS) is a type of software that electronics
and other manufacturers use to standardize product testing enterprise-wide, rather than simply in the test engineer
ing department. It is designed to integrate and synchronize test systems to other enterprise functions such as research and development
(R&D), new product introduction (NPI), manufacturing
, and supply chain
, overseeing the collaborative test processes between engineers and managers in their respective departments.
Like most enterprise software
subcategories, ETS represents an evolution away from custom-made, in-house software development by original equipment manufacturer
s (OEM). It typically replaces a clunky, unsophisticated, test management infrastructure that manufacturers have to redesign for every new product launch. Some large companies, such as Alcatel
, Cisco
, and Nortel
, develop ETS systems internally to standardize and accelerate their test engineering activities, while others such as Harris Corporation
and Freescale Semiconductor choose commercial off-the-shelf
ETS options for advantages that include test data management and report generation. This need results from the extensive characterization efforts associated with IC design, characterization, validation, and verification. ETS accelerates design improvements through test system management and version control.
ETS supports test system development and can be interconnected with manufacturing execution services (MES), enterprise resource planning
(ERP), and product lifecycle management
(PLM) software packages to eliminate double-data entry and enable real-time
information sharing throughout all company departments.
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
and other manufacturers use to standardize product testing enterprise-wide, rather than simply in the test engineer
Test Engineer
A hardware test engineer is a professional who determines how to create a process that would test a particular product in manufacturing, quality assurance or related area like RMA department, in order to assure that the product meets applicable specifications...
ing department. It is designed to integrate and synchronize test systems to other enterprise functions such as research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
(R&D), new product introduction (NPI), manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, and supply chain
Supply chain
A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to...
, overseeing the collaborative test processes between engineers and managers in their respective departments.
Like most enterprise software
Enterprise software
Enterprise software, also known as enterprise application software , is software used in organizations, such as in a business or government, contrary to software chosen by individuals...
subcategories, ETS represents an evolution away from custom-made, in-house software development by original equipment manufacturer
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
s (OEM). It typically replaces a clunky, unsophisticated, test management infrastructure that manufacturers have to redesign for every new product launch. Some large companies, such as Alcatel
Alcatel
Alcatel Mobile Phones is a brand of mobile handsets. It was established in 2004 as a joint venture between Alcatel-Lucent of France and TCL Communication of China....
, Cisco
Cisco
Cisco may refer to:Companies:*Cisco Systems, a computer networking company* Certis CISCO, corporatised entity of the former Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation in Singapore...
, and Nortel
Nortel
Nortel Networks Corporation, formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, was a multinational telecommunications equipment manufacturer headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada...
, develop ETS systems internally to standardize and accelerate their test engineering activities, while others such as Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation is a Florida-based international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in...
and Freescale Semiconductor choose commercial off-the-shelf
Commercial off-the-shelf
In the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract...
ETS options for advantages that include test data management and report generation. This need results from the extensive characterization efforts associated with IC design, characterization, validation, and verification. ETS accelerates design improvements through test system management and version control.
ETS supports test system development and can be interconnected with manufacturing execution services (MES), enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning
Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
(ERP), and product lifecycle management
Product lifecycle management
In industry, product lifecycle management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal...
(PLM) software packages to eliminate double-data entry and enable real-time
Real-time computing
In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...
information sharing throughout all company departments.
Enterprise-wide test applications
ETS covers five major enterprise-wide test applications.- Test and automation—By using ETS in conjunction with virtual instrumentationVirtual instrumentationVirtual instrumentation is the use of customizable software and modular measurement hardware to create user-defined measurement systems, called virtual instruments....
programming toolProgramming toolA programming tool or software development tool is a program or application that software developers use to create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support other programs and applications...
s, design and test engineers avoid custom software programming unrelated to device characterization, and can thereby accelerate test system development.
- Product data managementData managementData management comprises all the disciplines related to managing data as a valuable resource.- Overview :The official definition provided by DAMA International, the professional organization for those in the data management profession, is: "Data Resource Management is the development and execution...
—In this application, the engineer collects, stores, aggregates, distributes, and shares product and test data in a central database. One significant advantage of ETS is reported to be product traceabilityTraceabilityTraceability refers to the completeness of the information about every step in a process chain.The formal definition: Traceability is the ability to chronologically interrelate uniquely identifiable entities in a way that is verifiable....
. It is designed to make performance reporting easier, and to increase the chances that products are built correctly, from the first prototypePrototypeA prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, reducing design iterations.
- Process controlProcess controlProcess control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms and algorithms for maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired range...
—The engineer manages the flow of activities between test, repair, and assembly stations, and enforces or suggests how a set of work instructions are to be applied. This application is designed to orchestrate product test strategies from validationVerification and ValidationIn software project management, software testing, and software engineering, verification and validation is the process of checking that a software system meets specifications and that it fulfills its intended purpose...
to delivery.
- Multi-site collaboration—This purpose of this application is avoid time zoneTime zoneA time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
difficulties and error-prone updates of new product and test system releases, by sharing information with other departments and remote contract manufacturerContract manufacturerA contract manufacturer is a manufacturer that contracts with a firm for components or products. It is a form of outsourcing.-Business model:...
s electronically. It is designed to offer real-time visibility over global test operations.
- Test asset management—This application is intended to help design and test engineers track product configurations, tolerances, test sequences, and software being used by each test system, as well as distribute new updates electronically in real-time. Engineers can update their test systems automatically, in synch with their new releases.
See also
- Commercial off-the-shelfCommercial off-the-shelfIn the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract...
- Electronic test equipmentElectronic test equipmentElectronic test equipment is used to create signals and capture responses from electronic Devices Under Test . In this way, the proper operation of the DUT can be proven or faults in the device can be traced and repaired...
- Enterprise Data ManagementEnterprise Data ManagementEnterprise Data Management or EDM is:#A concept – referring to the ability of an organization to precisely define, easily integrate and effectively retrieve data for both internal applications and external communication....
- Enterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planningEnterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
- Enterprise softwareEnterprise softwareEnterprise software, also known as enterprise application software , is software used in organizations, such as in a business or government, contrary to software chosen by individuals...
- Process controlProcess controlProcess control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms and algorithms for maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired range...
- Test automationTest automationTest automation is the use of software to control the execution of tests, the comparison of actual outcomes to predicted outcomes, the setting up of test preconditions, and other test control and test reporting functions...