System models effect on test integration cost

Abstract

Models and paradigms imposed by test development and support applications impact test program integration costs. One major cost component of test development and test rehost efforts is integration. The test system representations engaged to develop and design test applications are a primary factor that drives how much engineering effort is expended during integration. Achieving test platform independence for test applications has been a high priority and ongoing focus for the test community. Test platform independence has a distinct impact on, and a close relationship to, test integration. Much of the effort spent on platform independence thus far has been involved with how to specify test requirements and test programs so that they do not, either directly or indirectly, demand specific test platform resources or implementations. Even with strict adherence to guidelines meant to maximize platform agnostics, significant effort is still required to adjust test program software during integration to accommodate test system, test software, and test adapter characteristics that were not anticipated or compensated for. Typical integration efforts involve altering parametric values used to invoke source instrumentation, imposing test limits, defining test timing, and other test program aspects. Although many of these test program aspects are the same as those used to provide platform independence, they must be altered to accommodate specific test systems during integration. This apparent paradox where platform-independent information must be altered to accommodate specific platforms is one consequence that can be explained by evaluating the system models and paradigms used in test development and test architectures that affect integration efforts.