Patent ID: 7552370

Claim:
A distributed test system for testing one or more devices under test including a first device under test, wherein said devices under test include integrated circuits, the distributed test system comprising: programmable devices comprising at least one of field programmable gate arrays, programmable logic devices, or complex programmable logic devices, wherein the programmable devices are software programmable in the testing environment to change the number of application specific test engines (ASTEs) in the distributed test system, wherein the programmable devices are software programmable in the testing environment to change the functionality of the ASTEs, and wherein the programmable devices are software programmable in the testing environment to change the number of tester channels associated with each application specific test engine (ASTE); a first ASTE of said number of ASTEs that generates first test signals for the first device under test, wherein the first ASTE is programmable in the testing environment to enable modification of a type of stimulus response including said first test signals based upon a type of said first device under test; an existing test unit to generate a defined set of defined test signals; and a switch matrix including a first switch for connecting the first device under test to the first ASTE or the existing test unit; and a controller, coupled to the switch matrix and the one or more ASTEs, for determining connections made by said switch matrix; wherein said first ASTE transmits said first test signals to the first device under test and receives a first response based upon said first test signals from the first device under test when the first switch couples the first ASTE to the first device under test.