TestProNews Q3/Q4 - 2008
Discover What's Inside of the Multimedia Test System (MMTS)
VI Technology announced the release of its Multimedia Test System (MMTS) on March 27, 2008. The MMTS provides the fastest path to
analog and digital audio/video measurements from multimedia devices. No other system on the market today offers the combination of a full-featured set of measurements, minimal configuration time, low price and cost of ownership, and minimal footprint. The MMTS significantly reduces testing time for multimedia-capable devices such as DVD players, set-top boxes, smart phones, mobile devices, computers, and video game consoles. All the necessary hardware, software, algorithms, and extensions for testing analog video, digital video, analog audio, digital audio (S/PDIF), power measurements, and connectivity to USB, modem, and Ethernet are included in the all-in-one system. MMTS is based on the National Instruments PXI, LabVIEW, and TestStand platforms to deliver accurate and reliable results.
The MMTS is a result of VI Technology’s industry-leading engineering staff being in tune with the concerns of one of its primary customers, the test
engineer. The vast majority of multimedia testing options available to test engineers require multiple, stand-alone measurement devices from different vendors. Relying on a multiple-vendor solution increases development, deployment, and maintenance costs. Adding to test engineers’ frustration is the reality that these multiple-vendor solutions often are inefficient in terms of test speed, throughput, scalability, and user configurability. As technologies grow increasingly complex, test engineers need a cost-effective solution that decreases time to market and can be reconfigured for future generations of multimedia devices.
Reducing Testing Time and Increased Throughput
Test time and throughput are major concerns on any production floor. Engineers constantly scrutinize measurement routines for test-time reductions. Off the production floor, engineering managers seek out instrumentation that can test more UUTs in less time but still fit within shrinking budgets. In the past, techniques to increase throughput often have included removing tests from the test sequence altogether or purchasing superfluous measurement equipment. Now, with the MMTS, these techniques are unnecessary.
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The scope of what the MMTS can test is endless |
Parallel Processing
Using features inherent to National Instruments TestStand test management software and PXI hardware components, VI Technology engineers were able to implement a parallel process model in the MMTS that enables the flexible testing of up to four UUTs simultaneously (see Figure 2). Using the auto-schedule feature inherent to TestStand, the MMTS can determine the most efficient order in which to execute the tests based on the availability of shared resource. The advanced sequencing abilities of MMTS enable the system to manage available resources dynamically for a single UUT or across different test bays, which significantly reduces the test time per device and increases throughput.
Multithreading
The MMTS uses a dual-core processor, which enables the simultaneous execution of two computing tasks. A dual-core processor is able to separate tasks into individual threads, a process known as multithreading. The multithreading capabilities of the MMTS reduce test time by separating tasks such as instrument vitalization for the four UUTs into multiple, independent threads. VI Technology engineers chose to implement the multithreading for MMTS using National Instruments LabVIEW. LabVIEW minimizes the need for writing additional multithreading code because scheduling separate processor cores to run is a feature built into LabVIEW. VI Technology engineers were able to take advantage of LabVIEW multithreading technology without additional development time, thereby reducing overall development cost.
Scalability
New audio and video signals are developed and pushed onto the market daily. Test systems must be flexible enough to adapt to new technologies; otherwise,
they can become obsolete quickly. The MMTS is based on off-the-shelf, modular instrumentation, making it scalable and adaptable to customers’ changing needs. The system hardware, connectivity, and signal routing can be expanded easily to test new signals and new devices merely by adding the necessary modules. The software also is designed to readily recognize the new modules, and new tests can be developed and added in a modular fashion.
Currently, the MMTS can perform the latest measurement tests for multimedia devices, such as the following:
- Composite, S-Video, HD (component) and HDMI
video (incl. NTSC-M, NTSC-4.43, PAL-M, PAL-N,
RGB, YUV, and HDMI)
- Digital and analog audio (incl. S/PDIF, PCM, RAW
Dolby Digital and DTS)
- Power (90-240VAC, 10A)
- Ethernet connectivity
- USB 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0
- Modem connectivity
User Configurability
One of the main benefits of the MMTS is its software, which includes out-of-the-box functionality to manage test execution, perform measurements,
acquire the resulting data, and present the results to the user in a simple fashion. Immediately, users can start testing their devices simply by choosing the tests they want to perform from a list. The software automatically reconfigures the test sequences and hardware to accommodate the desired tests and corresponding signal routing. A wizard guides the user through all the steps necessary for test configuration, including setting the desired test limits for each variable. MMTS user interfaces display all relevant information during the execution of the tests, including the progress and the overall testing results. Out of the box, the MMTS includes the most common testing sequences and algorithms for quick and exhaustive video, audio, power, and USB tests.
The MMTS also includes the latest in enterprise test software, enabling the system to capture test data while safely storing it on a local hard drive or in a secure network location. In addition, the MMTS can readily share the test data, results, and reports across the enterprise. With the proper credentials, engineers and managers can access the results of each tester individually or access aggregated reports through a Web browser. The data is also available across departments, enabling collaboration between production and the design team. Designers can find out in real time what the root causes are for particular failures and how design changes impact production.
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The MMTS enables users to test up to 4 UUTs in parallel |
Conclusion
The MMTS is a fully-integrated measurement system designed to deliver the fastest path to analog and digital audio/video measurements from multimedia devices. VI Technology has developed the MMTS using a dual-core processor with a parallel process model, achieving optimal system performance. Using features like multithreading and auto-scheduling, the MMTS is able to efficiently test up to four UUTs in parallel. The MMTS comes equipped with out-of-the-box software for managing test executions, performing measurements, gathering data, and accessing the results. The MMTS takes full advantage of features found in PXI, LabVIEW, and TestStand, resulting in increased test speed, scalability for future testing needs, reduced cost, and increased throughput.
Kiran Thomas
Marketing Manager
VI Technology
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