A MODULAR, EXTENDIBLE AND REUSABLE TEST CONFIGURATION FOR SYSTEM-LEVEL MANUFACTURING TESTS Muharrem TÜMÇAKIR, Çınar YEŞİL and Mert Burkay ÇÖTELİ Defense Systems Technologies Department ASELSAN Inc. Ankara, TURKEY mtumcakir@aselsan.com.tr , cyesil@aselsan.com.tr , mbcoteli@aselsan.com.tr Abstract –This paper explores an effective solution for a test configuration to perform system-level manufacturing tests without use of system management/user interface software of system under test (SUT). A generic, computer aided and modular test configuration, which acts in combination and in an integrated way with the management unit(s) of the SUT over Ethernet connectivity is proposed as a solution. Using enough number of software modules to be installed on the management unit(s), the proposed test configuration provides a number of improvements compared to the existing test configurations. Parallel testing capability is one of these major improvements meaning that test scenarios may be applied to a certain number of SUTs at the same time independently. This feature accelerates the system-level manufacturing test activities both during the planned test operations and during fault localization cases. The proposed configuration is implemented and used on various systems based on various platforms such as; sheltered C4I platforms, tracked observer or gun platforms, wheeled ground surveying platforms etc. Keywords – System Manufacturing Tests, Test Configuration, Automatic Test System, XML, Ethernet I. INTRODUCTION After design, implementation, verification and validation phases are completed; system-level manufacturing tests become one of the most critical activities for any developed system. In most cases, these tests are applied to every single system product to be delivered, in order to locate and fix system-level defects related to the manufacturing processes such as cabling and assembly of the System Units (SU). Generally speaking, for military electronics systems, main focus of the system-level manufacturing tests is to verify electrical and sometimes mechanical interfaces between SUs and to verify the main functionality of System Under Test (SUT) as well. Various types of test configuration or test methods might be used for system-level manufacturing tests in the Industry. Applying specific test procedures to the SUT over its user interfaces (e.g. system application/user interface software, buttons, knobs etc.) might be one of the first methods considered to be applied for manufacturing tests as shown in Fig.1. By this test configuration, the main user interface that test operator may use is the user interface software of the SUT itself. Test operator follows the instructions written in the manufacturing test definition document prepared according to the SUT’s user interface capabilities. For some specific verification steps, performing some temporary interface alterations (e.g. disconnect-measure-connect actions, connecting an external test device to an SU etc.) on the SUT becomes unavoidable to be able to verify some specific features of the SUT. Another manufacturing test configuration alternative that might be taken into consideration is shown in Fig.2. By this configuration, various test connectors with sufficient number of lines are designated on specific hardware units of the SUT for test purposes. During system-level test activities including manufacturing tests and field tests, these Fig. 1. Extant Test Configuration-1 978-1-4673-5683-1/13/$31.00 ©2013 IEEE