also be used as a controlling interface for other instrumentation that can be embedded into the ICs themselves (see IEEE 1687) or instruments that are part of an external controllable test system. Test script processors and a channel expansion bus One of the most recently developed test system platforms employs instrumentation equipped with onboard test script processors combined with a high-speed bus. In this approach, one "master" instrument runs a test script (a small program) that controls the operation of the various "slave" instruments in the test system, to which it is linked via a high-speed LAN-based trigger synchronization and inter-unit communication bus. Scripting is writing programs in a scripting language to coordinate a sequence of actions. This approach is optimized for small message transfers that are characteristic of test and measurement applications. With very little network overhead and a 100Mbit/sec data rate, it is significantly faster than GPIB and 100BaseT Ethernet in real applications. The advantage of this platform is that all connected instruments behave as one tightly integrated multi-channel system, so users can scale their test system to fit their required channel counts cost-effectively. A system configured on this type of platform can stand alone as a complete measurement and automation solution, with the master unit controlling sourcing, measuring, pass/fail decisions, test sequence flow control, binning, and the component handler or prober. Support for dedicated trigger lines means that synchronous operations between multiple instruments equipped with onboard Test Script Processors that are linked by this high speed bus can be achieved without the need for additional trigger connections. See also Electronic test equipment GPIB / IEEE-488 LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation M-Module PXI Test automation (testing of software) Test execution engine (software for testing) VMEbus VXI References External links System Integration of an Open-Architecture Test System by Yuhai Ma, Advantest America Inc. (July 2006) ATE automatic testing basics. Impact of Cable Losses – application note defines and details the sources for cable loss in automatic tester systems (ATE). GPIB 101A Tutorial About the GPIB Bus ICS Electronics (retrieved December 29, 2009). List of books covering automatic test systems and applications (retrieved July 20, 2011). Hardware testing Electronic test equipment Nondestructive testing