vate - a virtual automatic test environment

The vate is a cross platform (Linux/Win32), flexible, multisites IC automatic test environment.

The vate is a tranditional ATE software environment. It provides a software framework which allow test engineer to write single site test program (TP) and deploys the same TP for multisites environment without any modification. Test engineer only need to focus on IC testing issue and left all system issue, such as single or multisites; resources managerment; data logging ..., to vate environment.

The vate is also an extension tester of your legacy test environment. All test task could be driven by client library. The thin client architecture allow vate client library to be easily rewrite or port to legacy ATE environment, for example, SC312 which use SunOS 4.x with only K&R C compiler. And you can easily connect SC312 with vate and use vate as extension of your SC312 tester.

In fact, you don't even need a client library, only BSD socket support is required to use vate (vate could be completely controlled by 'telnet').

Features

100% C impl. (no C++), generate fastest code.

100% C impl. max. portability.

Client/Server architecture with Thin client design.

Clean and simple string based control commands.

Multisites environment support, Zero change from single to multisites.

Multiclients support.

Zero change from Lab. to Fab.

User defined extension functions (EXT module) which could be used in both test program and client to reduce complexity of multi-threads programming issue.

Flexible data logging (DAT module) include STDF.

Generic PHI (prober/handler interface) software framework.

Flexible plugin interface for BSP (board support package) and PHI allow you customize vate for your application easily.

OpenSuSE/CentOS/WinXP/Vista support for both Client/Server.

User module plugin to customize VATE runtime policy.

Other OS support by contract.

Customize client library support (by contract) for Solaris, SunOS 4.x, HP-UX and almost all UNIX.

Customize BSP, PHI, DAT module support (by contract).

Architecture