A system for generating test patterns, the system comprising: an input structured to accept a text definition file that contains a description of a particular test pattern to be generated, the particular test pattern including one or more segment description statements; and a test pattern generator structured to retrieve description information from the text definition file and populate a memory with segment description codes describing segments of the particular test pattern based on the retrieved segment description statements; wherein the test pattern generator comprises: a level engine structured to retrieve level description information from the text definition file and populate a first portion of the memory with segment level description codes; a pulse engine structured to retrieve pulse description information from the text definition file and populate a second portion of the memory with segment pulse description codes; a ramp engine structured to retrieve ramp description information from the text definition file and populate a third portion of the memory with segment ramp description codes; a combiner structured to combine outputs from the first to third portions (214, 224, 234) of the memory to produce a common output; and an output engine structured to produce an output of a series of portions that make up the particular test pattern by, for each of the portions of the particular test pattern, creating the portion from the common output. an input structured to accept a text definition file that contains a description of a particular test pattern to be generated, the particular test pattern including one or more segment description statements; and a test pattern generator structured to retrieve description information from the text definition file and populate a memory with segment description codes describing segments of the particular test pattern based on the retrieved segment description statements; wherein the test pattern generator comprises: a level engine structured to retrieve level description information from the text definition file and populate a first portion of the memory with segment level description codes; a pulse engine structured to retrieve pulse description information from the text definition file and populate a second portion of the memory with segment pulse description codes; a ramp engine structured to retrieve ramp description information from the text definition file and populate a third portion of the memory with segment ramp description codes; a combiner structured to combine outputs from the first to third portions (214, 224, 234) of the memory to produce a common output; and an output engine structured to produce an output of a series of portions that make up the particular test pattern by, for each of the portions of the particular test pattern, creating the portion from the common output. a level engine structured to retrieve level description information from the text definition file and populate a first portion of the memory with segment level description codes; a pulse engine structured to retrieve pulse description information from the text definition file and populate a second portion of the memory with segment pulse description codes; a ramp engine structured to retrieve ramp description information from the text definition file and populate a third portion of the memory with segment ramp description codes; a combiner structured to combine outputs from the first to third portions (214, 224, 234) of the memory to produce a common output; and an output engine structured to produce an output of a series of portions that make up the particular test pattern by, for each of the portions of the particular test pattern, creating the portion from the common output.