ELATE(ID:7238/ela007)Hughes AircraftAutomated system checkout language Hughes Aircraft Company for VATE (Versatile Automatic Test Equipment) Samples: References: ELATE and DIMATE These are examples of problem oriented languages developed for a specific ATE application. ELATE was developed by Hughes Aircraft Company for their VATE (Versatile Automatic Test Equipment) and the DIMATE (Depot Installed Automatic Test Equipment) language was a derivative of an earlier RCA development for their MTE (Multipurpose Test Equipment). Both languages are readily readable but do require some programming experience for effective utilization. Since these languages were developed with a specific ATE application defined, they have the operational advantage of being relatively simple. On the other hand, they are less flexible for adaptation to other ATE applications. Extract: Critique of Existing Languages Critique of Existing Languages Because so much of the language selection process is based on the peculiar needs of a given application, it is difficult to make general recommendations. Also criticism of existing languages become rather subjective, depending on the evaluators experience. Nevertheless, for those who have little experience and weak biases, an evaluation of the languages mentioned earlier should be helpful. The author favors free-flowing statements with a minimum of punctuations, special symbols, and mnemonics. While such features tend to make the conversion software more expensive, they reduce test programming errors and attendant costs. Since software tool design is a non-recurring cost as contrasted to the recurring costs of UUT programming, the allowable investment in software design is a function of the test programming volume. Of the languages shown in the illustrations, basic PLACE is least natural and DIMATE most readable It also requires substantially less writing to program the equivalent function in DIMATE language. The use of fields or columns to separate words in a statement rather than commas and parenthesis tends to reduce errors and simplifies spot checking of statements for completeness. Universality of a language is extremely important both from its design and application. A universal design allows the language to be applied to many ATE systems so that as one is replaced or a new one added, the test designers do not need to learn a new language. One simply extends the existing vocabulary to handle any new features of a given system. Application universality refers to how used a language is. The more organizations that use a language on more test problems, the better refined it becomes. The problems with the language tend to be worked out and it becomes a more practical language. That, after all, is what any language is for - to be used. That more than any other is the reason some languages become accepted, because they are used by many people. Because ELATE and DIMATE were not designed to be universal, they have limited applications and tend to be used less. ATLAS is being designed to be universal, but so far has not been applied to any extent. As it is used, many of its shortcomings will be uncovered and may result in its demise. In the opinion of the author, it attempts to be too universal by trying to meet the needs of all test equipment rather than only ATE. There are many characteristics of ATE that differ from conventional testing which cannot be taken advantage of if the procedure must apply equally to manual testing. Furthermore, the extensive use of mnemonics and need for punctuation symbols make it far from natural to anyone except the accomplished programmer. In attempting to develop the language so that it is easy to compile, too many of the computers needs have been favored to the neglect of the test designer. PLACE has the advantage of being both universal in design and having had substantial use. It has been used for ATE systems of different manufacturers and has been implemented on several general purpose computers, including the IBM 7090, CDC 6400, and IBM 360 series. It is believed that more test programs have been produced using PLACE than any other language. The complex input structure and awkward vocabulary can be overcome by adapting PLACE to a users vocabulary using MACRO phrase definitions. The results of one successful adaptation of PLACE using the technique is shown in the examples of SPM adapted PIACE in Figure 3. With a more elaborate MACRO phrase library, the source language could be made substantially more free-flowing and natural. Because of its universal design, adaptability to many ATE's and its proven usage, PLACE is probably the most practical ATE language available. Industry would do well to modernize PLACE or at least pursue its universal design objective rather than continue to proliferate ATE languages. in [ACM] Proceedings of the 1971 ACM Annual Conference view details in ACM Computing Reviews 13(04) April 1972 view details |