Develop Test Applications Faster

By DE Editors

Alfamation (Lissone, Italy, and Oakbrook Terrace, IL) released SuperNova, a visual, configuration-based development environment for automated testing last week at the National Instruments Graphical System Design Conference and Exhibition in Austin, TX. Built on TestStand test management software from National Instruments, SuperNova, says the company, enables engineers to leverage an intuitive graphical interface and workflow mapping to quickly and easily create and manage test applications from development to deployment in the electronic manufacturing test environment.

SuperNova is intended to provide test engineers with an efficient application development platform for configuring test signals at both the test station and test adapter sites. SuperNova, according to the company, offers a fully visual, fully integrated environment that can save time, resources, and development cost by simplifying NI TestStand custom configurations.

A key feature of SuperNova is its Test Project Concept function, which stores all the information about a single DUT (device under test) and the device’s product variants. Test engineers can export the Test Project Concept and send it to the production environment to be loaded on the test equipment, which, according to the company, provides greater efficiency than traditional methods while offering less risk of lost or missing files.

SuperNova also offers a release management system that allows for transitions from test project releases as well as managing test application change history. Its process and test project configuration functions are said to ease application development and management by enabling process profiles, at the user level, to be defined and recalled. Additionally, users can run multiple executions on a self-adapting user interface that adapts automatically to the number of deployed parallel test instances. Users can execute the same project on identically configured test equipment with different process profiles—e.g., in-line automated, off-line manual, cyclic test, and lab development.

SuperNova stores test results in an SQL database, which can reside on the automated test equipment or centralized at the enterprise level, allowing for data mining and a web-based SPC access option. Other features include a product variant management capabilities; signal management for naming, compensation, and calibration; printing and reporting templates with an integrated editor to connect to the test execution variables directly; an integrated run-time interface for test driving test projects within target software context prior to final release; MES and PDES interfacing; and the ability to tag signals with meaningful and easy to remember names.

“We are excited to see the continued growth of NI TestStand partner products with the introduction of SuperNova,” said Santiago Delgado, Product Manager at National Instruments in a testimonial supplied to the press. “As devices, and the systems needed to test them, continue to grow in complexity, test engineers can now take advantage of the powerful and efficient tools provided by SuperNova to simplify development and focus more time on their core competency of test.”

SuperNova is fully internationalized to accommodate global test requirements. Optimal system requirements include Windows 7, Microsoft SQL Express 2008, TortoiseSVN 1.6, NI TestStand 2010, and NI LabVIEW 2009. Pricing starts at $1,030 for the run-time version and $9,300 for a development license. Prices include all necessary NI TestStand licenses. For more information, visit Alfamation.

Download the SuperNova data sheet.

Register for a demo of SuperNova.

Learn more about SuperNova’s project traceability and reporting features.

Learn more about SuperNova’s test signaling features.

Learn more about SuperNova’s test process features.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.