Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Gale A Sill

Richard Ortiz

John P Huetter

Duong Xuan Vu

Methods and apparatus for managing circuit tests. In a first embodiment of the invention, a number of electrical characteristics of a number of electrical components which exist in a circuit are identified, and the number of electrical components are then grouped in response to the number of electrical characteristics. Thereafter, and for each group of electrical components, a circuit test which is common to the electrical components of the group is established. When the execution of a test results in a false fail, the test is debugged, and the debugged test is then associated with each other component in its group. Much of a programmer's debug effort is therefore &ldquo;proactive&rdquo; rather than &ldquo;reactive&rdquo;. Preferably, a test history log is maintained for each component group so that previously abandoned test solutions are not repeated as tests are debugged. In a second embodiment of the invention, a number of test parameters of a number of circuit tests created for a number of electrical components which exist in a circuit are identified. Circuit components are then grouped in response to the test parameters rather than in response to electrical characteristics (though some of the test parameters may actually be electrical characteristics). The methods are preferably implemented in software. The methods and apparatus disclosed not only shorten the time required to complete a debug effort (i.e., to insure that tests are stabile), but also insure a greater degree of uniformity among tests which are associated with like electrical components.

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Roseville, CA, United States of America

Gale A Sill