SATE uses a new approach to defining system requirements that improves the fidelity of the requirements, reduces operational costs and facilitates testing consistency and test system re-use. This approach is based on the extensible Markup Language (XML), a standard promulgated by W3C.

This approach allows the system to treat Test Requirements as an independent, data base resident specification of the test equipment functions. That is, one can develop the data to include full specification of the requirements, tolerances, timing, measurement definition, etc. One can also include prerequisite stimulations and measurements, failure criteria and action, desired test groupings, and so on.

This approach also allows the system to host the specification in an open, standards-based language. Tags, attributes and rules are defined to provide structure. A read-in file format is developed to allow ingestion into the test equipment of a file generated from the data. The data are easily rendered into this format.

• SGML/XML are open standards based protocols for designing data formats in a way that facilitates straightforward rendering of the data in a machine readable form.

• In the context of test equipment, XML as an extension of SGML, is structured and easy to use.

• XML is already widely used for managing text/documentation.

• XML data can be rendered into different output file formats, i.e., it may be published as a paper document or a machine readable file.

• All requirements data captured explicitly

• Generic to system and the System Under Test

• Receptive to Configuration Management (edit, validate, verify)

• Accommodate ancillary data, e.g. notes and titles

• Maintain an open interface standard

• Can be rendered to a traditional form (printed document)