AutoTestSQL Production Test Management System

AutoTestSQL is a sophisticated, networkable, multi-user database application that allows easy creation of new test sequences, provides a simple run-time user interface and automatically stores results along with test sequence information (including test limits) on a session by session basis in an SQL database.

Designed primarily for product test in a manufacturing environment, AutoTestSQL provides a framework for developing, deploying, conducting, and managing production testing. It arranges the tests themselves and their associated limits and results in industry standard SQL database format, allowing easy and powerful analysis of results.

The structure of the database is such that it natively caters for different product families with different product variants, efficiently re-using tests and even portions of tests that are common between different products.

In operation, AutoTestSQL presents the test operator with a user friendly interface, incorporating such innovative features as automatic message boxes which can sense when a parameter has been reached or an operation has been completed and move on automatically, minimising the operators need to touch a keyboard or move a mouse, speeding up the testing process. A sophisticated "fault find" mode enables a complex test sequence to be stopped half way through and individual steps of the test sequence repeated. Individual test reports may be printed or saved in HTML form at the end of the test or reviewed and printed later using the AutoTestSQL report viewer.

The storing and management of results is completely automated. It is possible to use AutoTestSQL from design phase, through production test, and on to analysis of results without having know anything about databases. Most of the time you are not even aware of the presence of the database as all the database functions are handled for you by the software. Multiple test stations can record results to the same networked database. This can even be accessed over the internet allowing remote supervision of production processes from anywhere in the world. A results database can be analysed with the built in report viewer, or "farmed" for statistical data using a wide range of third party analysis tools. This allows such things as finding out what the effect on yield would be of reducing the tolerance on a particular test by 1%, or finding out if there has been a shift in the standard deviation of the power rail voltage with a change to another manufacturer of regulator IC. Is there any correlation between a reduction in yield and a new batch of components? Backing up the tests and data is as easy as backing up a database.

AutoTestSQL is designed to work with dScope Series III, but it doesn't end there. In addition to dS-NET peripherals such as the dS-NET I/O Switcher, AutoTestSQL can also control a vast range of third party test and automation equipment or the equipment under test itself by such means such as ActiveX controls, RS232 or infra-red remote control. If it's remote controlled or computer controlled, there's a good chance that it can be automated. This is made possible by the flexibility afforded by the VBScript programming language used to automate the test processes. Each product test is broken down into small steps of VBScript referred to as "scriptlets" which AutoTestSQL steps through sequentially. Although AutoTestSQL test ‘scriptlets’ are similar to the scripts which run within dScope’s internal scripting environment, a major difference is that AutoTestSQL runs the scripts and manages the integration with the database itself.