ATML Project

Project Information

Scope: ATML defines a standard exchange medium for sharing information between components of automatic test systems. This information includes test data, resource data, diagnostic data, and historic data. The exchange medium is defined using the extensible markup language (XML). This document specifies the architecture for the family of ATML standards.

Purpose: The purpose of ATML is to support test program, test asset and Unit Under Test (UUT) interoperablility within an automatic test environment. ATML accomplishes this through a standard medium for exchanging UUT, test and diagnostic information between components of the test system. The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of ATML goals as well as to provide guidance for usage of the ATML family of standards.

Justification: The ATML initiative is driven by a desire to standardize the XML format for use by various proprietary tools used within the automatic test industry. This will benefit both automatic (computer controlled) test equipment manufactures, maintainers and test system users in a broad range of industries including aerospace and government/military. By using a common format different tools and systems can exchange information, and form co-operative heterogeneous systems resulting in:

	Decreased test times
	Reduced incidents of Can Not Duplicate or No Fault Found
	Reduced Repair Cycle
	Formalized capture of historic data
	Improved Closed loop diagnostic systems

_______________________

ATML defines a framework through which different architectures using XML can be implemented.

	Defines the components from which users can build their architectures, whilst being interoperable with other compliant architectures.
	Show examples of the net centric services by which this information can be exchanged across different ATS platforms as part of a maintenance process
	Defines the XML format that these elements will take.

The ATML specifications will define

	How to define XML schemas that represent ATE and test information
	A set of XML schemas supporting the exchange of specific ATE and test information
	Example services that can be used for exchanging ATE and test information in a distributed net-centric environment.
	A set of services supporting the exchange of specific ATE and test information in specific common areas.