EUREKA PROJECT > 5062 VesTA
TURKEY
Grabber-Generator, Automatic Testing System
To develop testing equipment and an environment that allows an automatic testing process for TV systems.
Status > ANNOUNCED - 24-Jun-2010 Technological Area Market Area Start Date > 01-Jan-2010 Duration > 12 Months Participating countries > TURKEY, SERBIA | Main contactVestel Electronics Eng. Metin Nil > R & D Systems Engineering Manager Organisation type > Large company |
Project Description
In this project the aim is to design and develop an automated test environment able to handle manual, semiautomatic and automatic test case executions, requirements and a test case management system during the verification and testing process in the VESTEL R&D Design Verification and Test Group. The product will be realised like a set of independent modules which will together create an automated test enterprise solution. Eastern Europe, including TURKEY, is the fastest-growing LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TV market in the world today. The latest market research indicates that the total TV market will grow 24% between 2007 and 2012. On the other hand, continuous development of new technology produces new generations of TV System Solutions with very complex system architecture. Because of such aggressive market prospects and complex TV systems, one of the biggest challenges is system verification. Detailed testing of such a complex system needs a long period of time. Testing activities during product development take about 30 percent of total project time. Migration from manual to automated testing procedures shortens the time to market, lowers product price and improves product quality, 3 factors that enable market success. Hence test automation becomes an increasingly critical and strategic necessity. Using the TV system design and production experience of VESTEL and test system solution experience of RT-RK, both sides analysed how to improve the quality of implemented applications and products, and decided on a project (VESTA) for design and production of an automated environment for TV system tests. The proposed system can be considered as the combination of three major parts: * Software module. * Database Module. * Product Requirement Management Module. * Test Case Management Module. * Test Plan Management Module. * Test Case Executor Module. * Reporting/Monitoring Module. * VesBox HW (hardware) and SW (software) modules. * Device bring up. * TI DSP software implementation. * Test stations. * TS1 - Functional Test Station. * TS2 - Regression Test Station. * TS3 - Audio Test Station. * TS4 - Optic Test Station. * TS5 - Analogue RF (Radio Frequency) Test Station. * TS6 - Digital RF Test Station. * TS7 - Formal Test Station. * TS8 - Video Performance Test Station. * TS9 - Field Simulation Test Station. This project aims to develop and integrate the aforementioned technical blocks that will be developed in SERBIA and TURKEY cooperatively and turn the R&D outputs into commercially viable products through project management within the framework of a business plan and marketing strategy.
Technological Development Envisaged
As software (SW) systems for embedded platforms become more complex, both the complexity of testing effort and cost of maintaining the results of that effort increase proportionately. Most existing test environments lack the power and flexibility needed to adequately test significant software systems. The proposed automated test environment VESTA is seen as an answer to the need for more complete and powerful general purpose test systems. The central part of the system will be the device under test (DUT). VESTA Hardware (VesBox) will be able to generate audio/video inputs for DUT, and by using control devices VESTA will send specific commands to the DUT. As a result, DUT will generate output signals that can be captured by VesBox. Captured signals will be analysed and compared with reference signals using VESTA Software algorithms running on DSP IC (for ex. PSNR: by PixelSNR an algorithm reference picture and output picture will be compared pixel by pixel), and based on the result of the comparison, the system will decide whether the behaviour of DUT is OK or Not OK. Application software will handle the management of all these automatic tests, test results, reports, and automatic builds. During the project life-cycle, working packages will be split into three main groups: 1. Development of VesBox Hardware and Software Modules The first part is to design and assemble a Grabber-Generator device that will be part of the VESTA system. The name of this device is VesBox. VesBox is a HW (hardware) system that: * Generates audio/video signals simulating most signal generators such as Fluke, Astro, Quantum. * Grabs audio/video signals, analyses the signal and compares with a reference signal TI DSP IC is the micro controller of this unit. So the goals of this part are PCB design and device brings up of VesBox and development of necessary TI DSP software modules. This software module includes a firmware development block, video/picture analyse/comparison block and conversion block that will be used for audio/video input/output signal conversion. 2. SW Module Implementation. The application part will support the following modules: * Database module. * Product Requirement Management module. * Test case management module. * Test Plan management module. * Test case Executor module. * Reporting/Monitoring module. 3. Test Stations Setup. During the project realisation, one of the major tasks is the setup of test stations dedicated to a specific test execution. Nine test stations need to be installed: * TS1- Functional Tests. * TS2-Regression Tests (Multiple Units Testing Room). * TS3-Audio Performance Tests. * TS4-Optic Performance Tests. * TS5-Analogue RF Performance Tests. * TS6-Digital RF Performance Tests. * TS7-Formal Tests. * TS8-Video Performance Tests. * TS9-Field Simulation Tests. The completed parts of the project will be tested for verification of their accuracy, completeness and precision, and for evaluation of operational factors such as ease of use. The overall system must be reliable to give exact test automation results.
Main contactVestel Electronics Eng. Metin Nil > R & D Systems Engineering Manager Organisation type > Large company |
Contribution to project
The organisation is the participant who will put this project into practice. Dedicated hardware, software and test engineers will have different responsibilities on different modules. Some of them will be responsible for the implementation of the application software at the design and implementation phase and maintenance of the system and addition of new/extra features, and modification of existing features after the completion of the project. So they will be learning the system and working (hands-on) with RT-RK engineers from the beginning till the end of the project. Software version management will be done by version management tool. VESTEL and RT-RK engineers will have access rights to this system. All the bugs and tasks through the project will be managed via a bug tracking system to which both VESTEL and RT-RK engineers have access. For the UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) communication between TV and VesTA, TV Software development engineers will be adding a communication protocol and the necessary UART messages to the TV Software. VESTEL ELECTRONICS will be providing the support and all necessary inputs (documents, know-how about TV Test Systems, current reports used as test result reports, test cases, etc.) to the other participant during the project implementation. They will provide support for integration of a version control system and ClearQuest bug tracking systems into the test environment. Some of the VESTEL engineers will be working on the schematic and PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design of the VesBox. It is the VESTEL engineers' responsibility to complete the hardware design of the VesBox. VESTEL will provide equipment and components during the PCB layout design and production phase of the VesBox module. Mechanical and electrical design and the cabling issues of the Test Stations' setup will be done by VESTEL engineers. Installation and Test station work using an automated test tool will be done in cooperation between RT-RK and VESTEL engineers. The GUI (Graphics User Interface) look of the application will be defined by VESTEL engineers. Final system testing will be executed on test stations in VESTEL laboratories by VESTEL engineers. In order to give the highest quality support whenever it is needed, the experts from VESTEL ELECTRONICS will travel to the RT-RK side and also will attend regular meetings.
Expertise
VESTEL is the largest consumer electronics ODM/OEM company in Europe. VESTEL is the number one CRT and number two Flat Panel (TFT (Thin-Film-Transistor) and Plasma) TV manufacturer in Europe selling around 12 million TV sets each year. VESTEL has 25% and 18% market share for CRT TVs and FPD TVs in Europe, respectively. VESTEL Group's products include digital and Analogue TVs with and without DVD players, digital media players; IDTVs (Interactive Digital Television) with wireless networking capabilities and portable versions; STBs (Set Top Box), DVD players/recorders, portable handheld media players; PCs and laptops; digital audio/video recorders, no-frost and static refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, dishwashers and cooking appliances. VESTEL's strongest capability is its fast response time. VESTEL has manufactured many innovative products including the world's first DivX (Digital Video Express) player and Internet STB, Europe's first time shift TV and the world's first Windows CE based WebCompanion device together with Microsoft. VESTEL is cooperating with many multinational companies and universities and has a strong presence in national R&D projects and has already got many grants from TUBITAK The Scientific and Technological Research Council of TURKEY for its national R&D projects. The primary focus of R&D activities was related to platform digitalisation, high-definition, mobility and connectivity. The main areas of expertise are: Video Enhancement, Audio & Video Data Systems, Multimedia Compression, Mobiles / Portables, Multimedia Connectivity, Wireless / IP /PLC, Set Top Boxes (STBs), Integrated Digital Televisions (iDTVs), Digital Television Recorders (DTRs), and Combo products (i.e. DVD+DTT).
Main contactRT-RK Computer Based Systems Mr. VUKOTA PEKOVIC > Head Of Test Department Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
During the VESTA project, there will be a few major phases: * VesBox hardware (HW) design and implementation. * Test station setup. * SW modules' realisation: - Concept realisation phase; - System design phase; - System implementation phase. During the VesBox hardware design and implementation phase, RT-RK engineers will be involved in the HW design phase, especially TI DSP implementation and TI DSP software design and realisation. After the VesBox assembling, RT-RK engineers will be responsible for bringing the device out and TI DSP firmware development and testing. The test station setup phase will cover implementation and installation of 9 test stations on VESTEL's side. RT-RK engineers will be involved in the station installation procedure, test environment setup and software support. During the software module realisation phase, RT-RK engineers will work together with VESTEL engineers on System Concept documents and also on detail system design documents. Design of cores for all software modules will be done from the RT-RK side. In the implementation phase, RT-RK engineers will be responsible for implementation of all core modules, user interfaces and integration to the VESTA system. The requirement management system (RMS) module, Test Management system (TMS) module, Test Plan management system (TPS) module will be designed through cooperation between VESTEL and RT-RK engineers. Implementation of the RMS, TMS and TPS modules and integration to the VESTA system will be done from the RT-RK side. The executor module, support for Python script execution and writing of device drivers will be the responsibility of the RT-RK engineers. During this process some of the VESTEL engineers will be engaged as a support for specific VESTEL devices. The reporting module will be designed and implemented through joint work between VESTEL and RT-RK engineers. User documentation and technical documentation will be done from the RT-RK side. In order to give the highest quality support whenever it is needed, the experts from the RT-RK will travel to VESTEL Electronics and will also attend regular meetings. Also an engineer from the RT-RK side will be permanently engaged by the VESTEL side.
Expertise
RT-RK is a spin-off company from the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Technical Sciences; RT-RK has three companies: FTN-IRAM-RT, RT-SP, NIIT - these four companies form the RT-RK group; the RT-RK group is one of the biggest IT companies in Novi Sad and Vojvodina, with more than 200 employed as engineers and with income of more than 8 Million euros in 2008; RT-RK is closely connected with the Faculty of Technical Science not only by its position, since it is located on the University Campus, but also its close connection with professors and experts at the faculty; RT-RK delivers sophisticated solutions on the worldwide IT market. In the list of recently served customers we have: Cirrus Logic, NEC, ABB, BOSCH, Philips, etc. RT-RK is registered within the Ministry of Science of the Republic of SERBIA as an innovation centre and based on this it is a qualified partner for the EUREKA project; RT-RK developed BBT technology, which is patented (Method and System for automatic testing of multimedia devices P-2009/0066). This technology is delivered to and used by IC vendors and TV manufacturing companies and is used in R&D and QA departments for verification of multimedia devices like: MICRONAS, CIRRUS LOGIC, GRUNDIG, SAMSUNG, etc. This technology is fundamental for the proposed project and will be used as a starting point. Key technologies required for this project: * TI DSP system solution. RT-RK as an official member of the TI DSP Third Party Network has recognised know-how for this technology. * System software - fundamental know-how of all RT-RK engineers. * Audio/Video processing is required for test results evaluation where dedicated algorithms are required. * Test management using databases and different report creating options as required in this project are part of the RT-RK know-how.