Automated consumer PC power testing software
Problem
A tier-1 PC manufacturer’s test software was obsolete and unreliable, causing severe downtime. Pre-existing software was based on poor programming practices and could not be re-used. New custom client-server PC power testing software was required in order to measure power consumption of consumer workstations at multiple states (e.g. sleep, startup, etc.).
Solution
Novum programmed custom software using LabVIEW which incorporated best-practice architecture and programming techniques to produce a reliable, efficient, and well-documented test suite for the tier-1 PC manufacturer.
Utilized server-client architecture and TCP communication for executing custom client states within user-defined test plans
Server program controlled programmable AC power supply to allow for testing of multiple AC voltages (e.g. 100, 115, 230) while acquiring data from power meters via GPIB communication
Client program received command messages from server and performed requested tasks (e.g. sleep, startup, hibernate) using DLL calls to PowerProf.dll
Server created custom test reports upon successful completion by analyzing acquired data
Utilized object oriented programming to allow for efficient future hardware and OS upgrades
