Integrated test and measurement means employing a graphical user interface

A method for configuring a test system using a graphical user interface (GUI), the test system having multiple test elements, an interconnecting circuit for coupling the multiple test elements through computer controlled switches and a computer for controlling the switches and operating at least some of the multiple test elements via the interconnecting circuit in response to GUI inputs, the computer including a graphic display and memory, wherein the method comprises:

• providing on the graphic display, a representation of the multiple test elements available to the interconnecting circuit, wherein each such test element is represented by a graphic icon having input-output (I/O) port symbols representing those I/O ports available on such test element, and wherein such graphic icon has associated therewith a stored data table comprising at least an address of such test element and control codes for coupling I/O ports of such test element to selected lines of the interconnecting circuit;
• on the graphic display, selecting a set of graphic icons corresponding to a set of test elements which are desired to be used to perform a test to be carried out by the test system and graphically coupling I/O port symbols of at least two of the set of graphic icons;
• retrieving from the stored data table, the control codes and interconnecting circuit addresses corresponding to the graphically coupled I/O port symbols;
• switching through the computer controlled switches the set of multiple test elements which are desirable to be used to perform the test to be carried out;
• and
• sending by the computer to the set of multiple test elements, one or more messages via the interconnecting circuit, the one or more messages comprising the control codes and addresses retrieved from the stored data table, to cause switches associated with the I/O ports to open or close so as to provide via the interconnecting circuit, physical signal interconnecting between the I/O ports of the set of multiple test elements that corresponds to the graphical coupling of the I/O port symbols on the graphic display.

A test system configurable by a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

• a plurality of physical testing elements having physical input-output (I/O) ports;
• a computer having a memory, at least one I/O device, and a display exhibiting a GUI;
• a switching network having a plurality of nodes of one or more lines, said nodes for selectively coupling to the plurality of physical testing elements, and a further node of one or more lines for coupling to a device under test (DUT), each node having a unique address, wherein the switching network communicates with and is controlled by the computer so as to couple a desired set of the physical testing elements and the DUT in a manner determined by a graphical circuit configuration prepared on the GUI;
• wherein the computer interrogates the nodes of the switching network to identify the physical testing elements coupled thereto and shows on the display graphical testing elements symbols including graphical I/O port symbols corresponding to the physical I/O ports of the physical testing elements;
• and
• wherein control programs operate the computer to:
• (i) allow a user to graphically choose a set of the graphical testing elements symbols corresponding to a set of physical testing elements desired for testing the DUT, (ii) allow a user to graphically couple graphical I/O port symbols to form the graphical circuit configuration on the display, and (iii) retrieve from memory and send to the switching network to interconnect the physical I/O ports of the set of multiple physical testing elements and the DUT in a physical circuit configuration equivalent to the graphical circuit configuration.

A method of operating a test set for testing a device, wherein the test set has a computer, and a graphical display and a switchable interconnection network controlled by the computer, the method comprising:

• selectively coupling multiple testing elements to the network;
• operating the computer to interrogate the network to determine what testing elements are coupled to the network and to present on the graphical display, graphical symbols representing the testing elements;
• on the graphical display, selecting a first sub-set of the graphical symbols and coupling them to form a first graphically defined test circuit;
• energizing switches and portions of the network to interconnect the first sub-set of testing elements to form a first physical test circuit for testing the device, the first physical test circuit corresponding to the first graphically defined test circuit;
• repeating the steps of selecting, coupling and energizing with a second sub-set of graphical symbols to form a second physical test circuit different from the first physical test circuit without interrupting operation of the device and without terminating a test being carried out by the first physical test circuit;
• and
• the repeating step is performed without interrupting a test being carried out by the first physical test circuit.

A test system configurable by a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

• a plurality of physical testing elements having physical input-output (I/O) ports;
• a computer having a memory, at least one I/O device, and a display exhibiting a GUI;
• a switching network having a plurality of nodes of one or more lines, said nodes for selectively coupling to the plurality of physical testing elements, and a further node of one or more lines for coupling to a device under test (DUT), each node having a unique address, wherein the switching network communicates with and is controlled by the computer so as to couple a desired set of the physical testing elements and the DUT in a manner determined by a graphical circuit configuration prepared on the GUI;
• wherein the computer interrogates the nodes of the switching network to identify the physical testing elements coupled thereto and shows on the display graphical testing elements symbols including graphical I/O port symbols corresponding to the physical I/O ports of the physical testing elements;
• wherein control programs operate the computer to:
• (i) allow a user to graphically choose a set of the graphical testing elements symbols corresponding to a set of physical testing elements symbols corresponding to a set of physical testing elements desired for testing the DUT, (ii) allow a suer to graphically couple graphical I/O port symbols to form the graphical circuit configuration on the display, and (iii) retrieve from memory and send to the switching network, control codes and addresses causing the switching network to couple the physical I/O ports of the set of physical testing elements and the DUT in a physical circuit configuration equivalent to the graphical circuit configuration;
• the control programs operate the computer to compare the graphical I/O port symbols attempted to be coupled by the user to an allowed list of I/O ports that may be coupled, and if the graphical I/O port symbols attempted to be coupled by the user are not found on the allowed list of I/O ports that may be coupled, providing a visual or audible error indication or both.