SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- August 30, 1999 -- Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE:TER) introduced TestStudio/SP 99, the industry's first open-architecture, web-based operating environment for the development, debug, documentation and execution of ATE-based functional test programs. The open-architecture software designed for military/aerospace and commercial electronic product manufacturers and depot repair centers will be demonstrated at AUTOTESTCON '99. This versatile product integrates all the tasks involved in test program set (TPS) development, debug, documentation and execution within a single operating environment.

TestStudio/SP 99 is available on Teradyne's Spectrum™ Manufacturing Test Platform, a family of circuit board test systems that allows a manufacturer to put process and performance test capability exactly where it is needed - when it is needed - in the production line. The Platform provides a Unified Test Environment to meet the needs of a high-rate-of-change manufacturing environment. The four key requirements that Teradyne's Unified Test Environment satisfies are: tester scalability, test flexibility, test program reusability and user efficiency.

Using industry standards Ability to rehost legacy code and Web-based documentation reduces TPS development costs such as Microsoft Windows NT™ and COM, TestStudio/SP 99 allows direct inter-process communications with other COM compliant products such as Microsoft Office 2000 as well as all of the popular Application Development Environments (ADEs), including HP VEE,TM Visual Basic,™ Visual C++™ and National Instruments' LabVIEW™ and LabWindows/CVI.™ Test Studio/SP 99 can also support specialized in-house programming tools. TestStudio uses familiar Web-based browser and hyperlink technologies to provide a common, intuitive user interface for all programming tools.

Unlike a test executive, which addresses only the execution of the TPS, TestStudio/SP 99 provides an easy to use open-architecture environment for designing test programs, controlling their flow of execution, accessing ADEs and other programming tools, and linking to supporting documentation in the form of text, graphics, and video. The result is a complete TPS that supports the entire test program deployment process from development and debug to production testing and finally to depot support-all with associated documentation.

Leading military/aerospace electronic manufacturers are embracing the versatility and reusability of TestStudio's hierarchical test sequencing engine. Using the engine, TPS developers can rehost legacy code written in ADEs like C++,™ Visual Basic,™ LabWindows,™ LabVIEW,™ and HP VEE,™ embedded in existing test programs by organizing test activities into steps displayed as nodes on hierarchical project trees. Drag-and-drop manipulation of tree "nodes" allow users to visually reorder test steps or reuse test data. TestStudio/SP 99 features a browser window that is updated dynamically based on user input and test results. For example, by simply moving a test execution step up or down the tree, users can reorder the sequence of a test. No matter how many sources there are for test code, TestStudio's sequencing engine executes the final code seamlessly, sharing data between nodes as needed.

TestStudio takes full advantage of dynamic HTML and scripting technologies to integrate data across test development, documentation, debug, and execution activities providing users with direct access to all project data in a single environment. Documentation is captured on-line in HTML or any other format that can be viewed by Internet Explorer such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, even multimedia video. With documentation integrated within the test process, users have immediate access to information-reducing the cost of training and increasing productivity.

Teradyne's open software and hardware architecture provides users with a high degree of TPS transportability across the entire Teradyne Spectrum family of ATE for both analog and digital testing. TestStudio offers tight integration with Teradyne's LASAR™ and VICTORY™ test generation tools. For digital functional tests, users can import LASAR simulation results directly into TestStudio. Boundary-scan test data generated by the VICTORY toolset can also be imported directly into TestStudio/SP 99.

Availability

TestStudio/SP 99 is standard on most test systems within the Spectrum Manufacturing Test Platform. The software is currently shipping. TestStudio/SP 99 is a commercial-off-the-shelf product backed by Teradyne's world-wide service and support.

About Teradyne

Teradyne is the world's largest manufacturer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the electronics industry. Products include systems to test semiconductor devices, printed circuit assemblies, telephone lines, computerized telephone systems, internet and intranet networks, and software. The company is also a leading supplier of high-performance connection systems used in the manufacture of electronics. Teradyne's extensive service network supports customers through a worldwide service and application engineering network, with technical centers located throughout Asia, Europe and North America.

The Assembly Test Division, located in Boston and Walnut Creek, California, serves circuit-board test customers with comprehensive capabilities in test and inspection. These test instruments and systems are used in commercial environments and in military/aerospace applications where reliability, time-to-market, and in-line process test are key to success. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Teradyne reported sales of approximately $1.5 billion in 1998 and had 6,100 employees worldwide. The company's Web address is www.teradyne.com.

TestStudio and VICTORY are trademarks and LASAR is a tradename of Teradyne, Inc. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners.