Testbricks: software framework for IEEE standard 1641 test programs

A test program compliant with the Signal and Test Definition (STD) IEEE Std 1641 has two parts: definition of the signals and programming. The standard does not define a programming language for the programmatic part, and any commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) programming language that fulfils annex G requirements can be used. This protects the standard against obsolescence, but it has a drawback because there is no COTS programming language for the specific domain of STD test programs. Previous works have explored several options to add STD signals to general purpose programming languages but these techniques add complexity and decrease productivity compared to a domain specific solution. Testbricks is the result of several years of investigation to create a software framework to allow an easy and straightforward development of STD test programs. This paper discusses the framework requirements, explains the key design features, and describes the framework architecture.