AI for Functional Testing

With Flux, this dream is a reality. With Flux Copilot, you can leverage the power of AI to help you test and debug your circuit designs. Here are your steps and how AI can make this process easier.

Functional Testing and Challenges

Functional testing is the process of testing a mass-produced product to ensure that the high-level system functionality meets the design expectations. The goal is to ensure quality, but that’s not always straightforward.

As a functional testing team member, you’re often asked to develop test plans for products you have not designed and, therefore, have no experience with. Generally, you’re handed a set of design files and a product requirement document. Your task is to take that information and develop a thorough test plan to ensure the product meets all its requirements off the production line.  

Generally, the hardest part is becoming familiar enough with the product to develop a comprehensive test plan. Historically, that means dozens of hours spent poring over schematics and layout files. But now, with AI, Flux is changing that narrative entirely.

Generate Thorough Functional Test Plans With AI

With Flux Copilot, generating thorough functional test plans is a breeze. Here is what the process looks like

Step 1: Import Your Design

The process starts by importing your design files and product requirements document into Flux.  Flux is compatible with design files from all of the major EDA tools, including Altium, Cadence, and KiCAD, so you can use Flux without having to change your tools.

Or, if your design is already native to Flux, simply input your product requirements document to get started.

Step 2:  Develop a Plan

Next, you should ask Copilot to help you determine what tests need to be run to ensure proper functionality.

Some of the most important questions to address in a test plan include

• Under what conditions should I perform the test?
• What procedure should I follow during my test?
• What results should I expect?

Copilot helps your team answer all of these questions by developing comprehensive and robust test plans for your design. Simply prompt Copilot with a question like

@copilot Create a comprehensive hardware design test plan for this project for the areas outlined in the testing and validation section. The goal is to ensure all components and circuits function correctly and reliably under specified conditions. Follow the steps:
- Provide a brief summary of the design, including the main functions and critical components of the schematic.
- Detail the requirement of that particular area for the design to work.
- Outline and explain the specific tests needed (with exact tools required where applicable) to verify performance of the hardware design. including test condition and expected behavior.

Step 3: Analyze Design and Test Points

Once you have a test plan, want to ask Copilot to confirm that the current design is accordingly testable. That means ensuring all necessary signals have test points that can be probed in your testing efforts. You can ask Copilot something like

@copilot, clearly list if the right test points are present to fulfill this test plan.

Step 4: Collaborative Debugging

Flux not only streamlines the testing and debugging process but also enhances the way test engineers and designers collaborate on projects.

In the event that the correct test points are not available, you can then use Flux’s collaboration tools. Simply leave a comment in the project file notifying the design owner of what signals need test points. With this kind of in-tool collaboration, everyone on the team can see the correspondence and the Copilot responses that elicited the design update.

By integrating collaboration within the design tool, Flux ensures that all team members have real-time access to test data, design changes, and analytical insights. This seamless integration allows for immediate feedback loops and faster decision-making, which is crucial when addressing complex design challenges

Step 5: Needed Equipment

The final roadblock to fulfilling a testing plan is having the necessary equipment to carry it out. Testing plans often need accompanying testing rigs, which likely necessitate custom PCBs dedicated to these efforts.

Copilot can help by identifying what testing equipment might be necessary and then providing advice on designing that testing rig. Ask Copilot something like

@copilot, what other testing equipment is necessary to carry out this test plan?

If a custom PCB is required, Copilot can help with the process. Check out this design tutorial to learn more about creating custom PCBs with Copilot.

Saving Time and Money

With Flux Copilot, your team can more easily develop comprehensive and thorough test plans that help catch design errors early in the process. This means your team can spend less time correcting errors and less money on unnecessary design revisions. Ultimately, that translates to higher quality products and faster time to market. Want to experience using AI to generate functional test plans? Sign up for Flux today.