Cyber Physical Test System - a novel approach in testing for the Embedded Systems Industry
Peter Schulz, Carsten Wolff · 2019
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the Embedded Systems Industry face manifold challenges to launch their products within a limited cost frame. Usually their production lots are relatively small and do not justify to invest in sophisticated test systems also because their products are cost sensitive. SMEs in this industry usually do not have production and test facilities in their own premises and commission these tasks to external production and test providers. If a supplier is abroad it becomes difficult to control the task remotely and protect the intellectual property (IP) of the product from being reverse engineered. The proposed Cyber Physical Test System (CPTS) addresses both price sensitivity and remote IP protection. In its first approach the CPTS's intended DUTs (device under test) are printed circuit boards (PCBs) of limited or medium complexity but containing at least one processing element. For achieving remote IP protection, the CPTS relies on a so-called “Testcloud” for test-management. The commissioning client keeps full control about the test procedures. The DUT-attached CPTS main component is not able to perform any activity without access to the Testcloud. To achieve the price-sensitivity goal but maintain a reasonable quality of test CPTS-modules will make use of FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) from the low-cost price region.