Home » Automated Test Equipment: Meaning | History | Difference with Manual Testing

Automated Test Equipment: Meaning | History | Difference with Manual Testing

by Uneeb Khan

Automated testing is the process of giving a computer the ability to perform various tests on a product in a logical order. In these tests, measurements are made using instrumentation hardware, which then transmits the measured values to a computer running test executive software, which compares the results to predetermined limits and decides whether the product passed or failed. With the use of automated test equipment, the test procedure may be carried out repeatedly, consistently, and swiftly with little chance for human error. Nowadays, automated testing is employed in every sector involving electronics, and the number of automated testers is rising quickly.

Examples of Automated Tests in Daily Life 

The local mechanic’s shop is a typical location for the transition from manual tests to automated tests. When cars were easy to fix, owners would bring them to a mechanic who would hand-inspect things like the distributor, spark plugs, etc. 

Each of these inspections would be performed separately until the problem was located and the repair was made. Today’s mechanic connects the car to a computer, hits a button, and reviews the test results that appear after the computer has performed a more thorough set of measurements.

 As an illustration, several tests are carried out when an Engine Control Unit (ECU) is being tested without the mechanic even needing to be aware of what is taking place. A series of tests are run sequentially on a product in this method, which is referred to as an automated test.

What does History Speak About ATE?

The history of automated test products and how they should be tested vary in complexity. Frequently, the cost of manufacturing and testing a product increases with its complexity. The entire product development lifecycle, from the creation of the initial prototype through testing of the first batch to full production, uses automated test equipment (ATE). 

The same testing equipment is then frequently employed in repair shops or contract manufacturing facilities (CMs). Test equipment is typically conceived and developed close to the company’s research and development center, regardless of where it is manufactured. This can let engineers brainstorm cost-effective testing methods and share early ideas about how to evaluate a product. 

Testing Methods: Manual vs. Automated 

The manual test procedure is often managed by one or more people who carry out successive measuring tasks up until the testing is finished. Quite frequently, businesses have employed operators who spend the entire day in front of test equipment, monitoring the instruments and recording the results of the tests. When labor prices are low, this procedure, which has been in use for a long time, is still used. Additionally, manual tests are employed when a product’s testing procedure is quite straightforward and can be completed quickly by an operator. 

On the other side, an automated test is when a product is tested using a computer-based test system. Historically, automated test equipment has been costly and complex, and the majority of automated test systems have been created for the telecommunications, automobile, and defense industries. From the 1970s to the early 1990s, computing was quite expensive in comparison to labor, and during that time, the price of automated test equipment was much more than the price of labor. As a result, the manual exam was still predominant.

Test Plans and Test Management Software 

Specific tasks and verifications are carried out by individual tests, also known as test modules. A test sequence is what is created when these separate tests are combined. An example of a test sequence would be to perform a power-on test, then a voltage check test, then a current test.

The testing of numerous goods within the same system can be facilitated by the creation of numerous test sequences using automated test equipment. Various programming languages can be used to generate test modules; however, a test executive software tool is commonly used to create test sequences.

 A test executive tool can do a variety of tasks, such as establishing the individual test sequences, including measurement limitations to establish pass/fail conditions, and setting up scenarios in which new test sequences may be summoned based on measurements. This kind of software also offers a framework for the output of test data, enabling the uploading of results to databases for additional analysis. Illustration of the many test processes 
Successful product testing is essential for quality, but it has a price. All the factors must be carefully considered when deciding whether product testing should be manual or automated. Effective outcomes and accelerated production will emerge from careful planning, which will also improve overall outcomes.

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