US3854125A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automated diagnostic testing system
Assignee: INSTRUMENTATION ENG INC US
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Filing: 1971-06-15
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Granted: 1974-12-10
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Expires: 1991-06-15
Abstract
Abstract An automated diagnostic testing system under control of a computer having on-line compiling capability for entering and modifying testing programs involving the inter-connection of the unit under test with one or more peripheral devices. An important aspect of the invention is the system for routing electrical signals between a selected pair of a plurality of terminals, via one or more conductive buses, including switch means associated with each terminal and controllably operative to connect that terminal to any one of the buses. Switch control means responsive to programmed commands determines from a stored indication the availability of one of the buses, assigns the bus determined to be available to one of the selected terminals, assigns the other selected terminal to that bus, stores an indication of the bus and terminal so assigned and operates the switch means associated with the selected terminals to connect them to the assigned bus. The switch means comprises a controllable individual switch between each bus and a particular terminal, and at least one separately controllable switch for opening and closing the series circuit between the terminal and any bus. This separately controllable switch is operated prior to operating the individual switches between the terminal and each of the buses.
Inventors
- 👤 E Ehling
- 👤 P Jackson
- 👤 J Mccarthy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:15
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/317; G01R31/3181; G01R31/319; G01R31/31917; G01R31/31926
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
258 words
In a system for automatically testing units having electrical circuits by exciting the unit under test with a stimulus device and obtaining an indication of the unit''s response thereto by at least one measurement device and wherein the unit has a plurality of terminals, the improvement comprisIng means for connecting selected unit terminals to at least one device terminal, including: input means for generating programmable command signals; a plurality of buses over which signals to and from unit terminals may be transmitted; a memory for storing electrical indications of existing terminal connections made via said buses; switch means associated with the unit terminals and controllably operable to individually connect unit terminals to each of the plurality of buses; switch means associated with the device terminals and controllably operable to connect at least said one device terminal to at least one bus; control means responsive to said command signals including means for interrogating the memory storing said indications of existing connections of terminals to the buses to locate a bus to which no predetermined terminal connection is made and which thereby is available for connection to the terminals to be interconnected; means responsive to said interrogation for storing in the memory an indication that a terminal connection is to be made to said bus determined from said interrogation to be available, and means for generating switch control signals; and means for coupling the control means to the respective switch means so as to operate the switch means associated with the available bus in response to the switch control signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
258 words
In a system for automatically testing units having electrical circuits by exciting the unit under test with a stimulus device and obtaining an indication of the unit''s response thereto by at least one measurement device and wherein the unit has a plurality of terminals, the improvement comprisIng means for connecting selected unit terminals to at least one device terminal, including: input means for generating programmable command signals; a plurality of buses over which signals to and from unit terminals may be transmitted; a memory for storing electrical indications of existing terminal connections made via said buses; switch means associated with the unit terminals and controllably operable to individually connect unit terminals to each of the plurality of buses; switch means associated with the device terminals and controllably operable to connect at least said one device terminal to at least one bus; control means responsive to said command signals including means for interrogating the memory storing said indications of existing connections of terminals to the buses to locate a bus to which no predetermined terminal connection is made and which thereby is available for connection to the terminals to be interconnected; means responsive to said interrogation for storing in the memory an indication that a terminal connection is to be made to said bus determined from said interrogation to be available, and means for generating switch control signals; and means for coupling the control means to the respective switch means so as to operate the switch means associated with the available bus in response to the switch control signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the control means further includes: means for interrogating the memory for the existence of any connection, other than a predetermined connection, between the available bus and terminals other than those terminals desired to be interconnected; and means for generating signals to operate the switch means associated with such other terminals to cause their disconnection from said bus prior to operation of the switch means to make the connection with the desired terminals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
74 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the control means further includes: means for interrogating the memory for the existence of any connections between the desired terminals and any bus other than the available bus; and means for generating signals to operate the switch means associated with such connected desired terminals to cause their disconnection from the other bus prior to operation of the switch means for connecting the desired terminals to the available bus.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
95 words
The system of claim 1, wherein; the input means selectively generates command signals for storing in the memory a designation representing a particular bus for use in an interconnection; and the control means further includes means for interrogating the memory for stored indications of any connection of the predesignated bus to a terminal other than a terminal to be interconnected, or (b) a desired terminal to a different bus, and means responsive to detection of such a stored indication to preclude the generation of switch-control signals for the attempted interconnection if either such connection exists.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
131 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein the control means further includes: means for generating separate indications for different types of device terminals for storage in the memory; and means for detecting from such stored indications whether a device terminal to be connected to a unit terminal is a stimulus type or measurement type device, the interrogating means being responsive to detection of such stored indications so as to interrogate the memory for possible indications of connections associated with one group of buses in determining the availability of a bus for connection to a stimulus type device terminal, and so as to interrogate the memory for possible indications of connections to another group of buses in determining the availability of a bus for connection to a measurement type device terminal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The automatic testing system of claim 5, wherein the interrogating means: interrogates the memory containing possible indIcations of connections to the remaining group of buses in determining the availability of a bus if all buses of the first bus group are unavailable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The automatic testing system of claim 5, wherein the interrogating means: interrogates the memory so as to determine the availability of buses of the respective groups in a preselected order of preference.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
The automatic testing system of claim 7 wherein the interrogating means: interrogates the memory so as to select a bus from the remaining group of buses if all buses of the first group to be used are unavailable, such selection occurring in a preselected order of preference that is the inverse of the preselected order of preference for that group when it contains the selected bus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein the switch means for each terminal comprises: a common node; a first controllable switch device connected between the terminal and the node; and a separately controllable second switch device connected between the common node and each bus.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The automatic testing system of claim 9, wherein: the generating means is operative to generate switch control signals during a disconnection so as to first operate the first switch device and then operate the second switch device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The signal routing system of claim 9, wherein: the generating means is operative to generate switch control signals during a connection so as to first operate the second switch device for the available bus and then operate the first switch device for that terminal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
91 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein: the system further comprises means for generating programmable commands to disconnect selected terminals; and the interrogating means includes means operable in response to a disconnection command to interrogate the memory for stored indications of any connection to an available bus of a terminal other than a terminal desired to be disconnected; and the generating means includes means for generating signals operative to disconnect the switch means associated with each such other terminal from said available bus upon disconnection of the interconnected terminal therefrom.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein the: the interrogating means is responsive to indications in the memory representing a predetermined number of terminal connections to at least one bus and provides an indication thereof effective to preclude further connections thereto.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
77 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein: the input means selectably generates disconnection commands; and the interrogating means in response to disconnection commands interrogates the memory for indications representing connections between the terminals of first and second preselected groups of terminals, and the generating means generates switch control signals so as to disconnect any terminal of the second group connected to a bus upon disconnection of a terminal of the first group from the same bus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
110 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein: at least one device may be connected to a unit terminal by more than one circuit path in response to a command by the input means; the memory contains stored indications identifying such device; the control means further includes means responsive to a device connection command for interrogating the memory for the existence of said identifying indication; and means jointly responsive to detection of said identifying indications and to said connection command for precluding the generation of switch control signals by the generating means if the connection command does not include instructions to connect said device by more than one circuit path.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
68 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein: the input means selectively generates command signals for storing in the memory a designation representing a particular bus for use in an interconnection; aNd the interrogating means interrogates the memory to provide an indication if the particular bus was not previously designated and the terminal to be connected in response to the existing command is connected to a different bus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein the control means includes: means for determining whether an existing command includes an instruction to connect a device terminal to a unit terminal via a particular bus; and means responsive to said determining means for interrogating the memory for the presence of any existing connections of the terminals of the device to that particular bus and for providing an indication if such existing connections equal a predetermined number.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein: the generating means in response to a command signal generates plural signals for operating the switch means associated with the device terminal to connect respective plural devices to the available bus.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The automatic testing system of claim 18, wherein: at least one of said plural devices is a stimulus device and another of said plural devices is a measurement device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The automatic testing system of claim 18, wherein: said plural devices are measurement devices.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, wherein: the generating means in response to a command signal generates plural signals for operating the switch means associated with respective unit terminals so as to connect plural unit terminals to the available bus.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
172 words
The automatic testing system of claim 1, comprising: a source code memory accessible by said input means for storing source code signals representing a programmable command for interconnecting the selected terminals; memory means associated with said control for storing a set of executable code signals representing at least one predesignated routine which includes the interrogation and indication storing functions of the control means; and means for converting the stored source code signals into a hybrid signal code, and for storing said hybrid signal code in one of said memory means for execution when interconnecting the selected terminals; said hybrid signal code comprising (1) a call to said executable code signals representing the predesignated routine and (2) relevant source code signal information of the selected terminals to be interconnected, said switch control generating means being jointly responsive to the stored executable signal code and to said stored record of existing connections during execution of the programmed command for generating switch control signals addressed to operate the switch means associated with said available bus.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-09 | 1978-06-10 | 1978-12-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-09 | 1982-06-10 | 1982-12-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-09 | 1986-06-10 | 1986-12-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |