Patent ID: 8094566

Claim:
A test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising: a test module section that tests the device under test; a test control section that generates control packets for controlling the test module section; and a connecting section that receives the control packets from the test control section and transmits the control packets to the test module section, wherein the test module section includes a first test module that operates according to control packets having a first packet structure and a second test module that operates according to control packets having a second packet structure, which is obtained by adding an expansion region to a control packet having the first packet structure, the test control section transmits control packets having the second packet structure to the connecting section, and the connecting section (i) removes the expansion region from control packets having the second packet structure received from the test control section and transmits the removed-expansion-region control packets to the first test module, and (ii) transmits control packets having the second packet structure received from the test control section to the second test module.