Software

The utilization of easy-to-maintain, modular software is a key element for efficient implementation of functional test systems. The LXinstruments software architecture is based on Agilent’s TestExec SL or NI’s TestStand test sequencers. These test sequencers provide open interfaces for the integration in the factory environment and the separation between infrastructure and test sequence and help reduce development time allowing to deploy the functional test rapidly and efficiently.

This allows for a consistent and time saving implementation of test applications. Software specialists can handle infrastructure related parts of the software while test specialists do what they are best at - utilize their speceific test related know how to set up and parameterize test sequences and make sure the individual test provide stable and meaningful results.

Our software is designed to ensure long-term maintainability and expandability. Instrument specific test step libraries can be added or extended at any time without putting the existing software at risk.

Software Layers

The below diagram illustrates the hierarchical modular software architecture that is the foundation for our functional test systems.

The color coding illustrates which parts of the software have to be modified when adopting the system to both, changes in the factory environment and new or modified test requirements.

• Dark blue: COTS software, not to be modified
  
• Medium blue: Infrastructure software, only to be modified if the manufacturing
  environment imposes changes (type of handling system, result data base etc.)
  
• Light blue: DUT specific software, needs to be modified with new or modified test specifications or new DUT types

 

LXinstruments Standard Software

The LXinstruments software portfolio includes standardized software modules that help to dramatically cut down on cost and delivery time for our test solutions:

• LX-OperatorInterfaces (Graphical operator interfaces for TestStand and TestExec SL)
  
• LX-ResultFilesViewer (Offline display of test results and execution of measurement capability examinations)
  
• LX-OTPLibraries (test step libraries for the range of standard instruments included in the OTP system platform)

 

Customer Specific Software

The adoption of the LXinstruments standard software to specific customer requirements is part of our customized solution services. For applications other than electronic functional test, fully custom software can be provided based on a customers job definition.

Development Environments

The skill set of our engineers includes the following software development environments and tools:

• Graphical programming environments: Agilent VEE Pro / NI LabVIEW

• Text based languages: MS Visual Studio (Visual Basic, C++), Java

• Databases: SQL based databases (Access, SQL Server etc.)