Testing on HP Business Desktop PCs Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 2 Importance of Desktop Testing............................................................................................................... 2 Test Tool Development.......................................................................................................................... 3 Hardware Evaluation Test Development .............................................................................................. 3 Software Image Development ............................................................................................................ 3 Types of Testing................................................................................................................................... 4 System Board Validation Testing ........................................................................................................ 4 Platform Validation Testing ................................................................................................................ 4 Mechanical Validation Testing........................................................................................................... 5 Module Functional Testing................................................................................................................. 5 System Integration Testing ................................................................................................................. 6 Performance Testing ......................................................................................................................... 7 Desktop Certifications ....................................................................................................................... 7 Tested Configurations........................................................................................................................... 8 Hours of Testing................................................................................................................................... 8 Observations during Testing.................................................................................................................. 9 On-going Qualifications ....................................................................................................................... 9 For More Information ......................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction Testing is an important part of the value supplied by HP to our customers. Many companies can assemble personal computers. HP has the engineering expertise and resources to perform the tens of thousands of hours testing every desktop platform we develop. This testing provides our customers with peace of mind, knowing that hundreds of different tests have been performed to provide a stable and reliable experience. In our quest to continuously improve the customer experience, HP uses a disciplined and methodical development and test process. We verify that each new desktop platform meets or exceeds HP quality standards for structural integrity, reliability, and compatibility. This white paper describes the various forms of testing performed by HP engineering when developing a new HP Business Desktop PC platform. Importance of Desktop Testing Business Desktop PCs represent a large portion of the worldwide computer shipments and are often the workhorses of business. As such, it is critical that they be durable and able to support a vast array of operating systems, languages, applications, and add-in options. Helping to ensure this compatibility and flexibility requires extensive, well-engineered testing. In this industry, quality is a differentiator. Business customers recognize the value of a more reliable PC, and that is a major factor in their purchase selection. The time and resources we invest in our testing yield benefits to them and to HP. A well-tested product can lead to a more efficient factory, lower costs, fewer failures in the field, and more satisfied customers. The PC business is a dynamic industry in which new technologies are created and adopted. It is imperative that we have a robust test process that can react to new technologies, verify their quality, integrate them into our product lines, and get them to market quickly. The following sections provide more details of the HP test tool development and capability and the types of testing performed. These sections also provide a closer look at the investment of time in our test process and how we track the results of tests conducted on HP Business Desktop PCs. 2 Test Tool Development An essential element of the HP test process is our attention and dedication to continuously improving the tests and processes used during product development. Two such areas of concentration are Hardware Evaluation Test Development and Software Image Development. Hardware Evaluation Test Development designs tests to help ensure that hardware components conform to published functional engineering design specifications. Software Image Development architects image databases, processes, and tools used to test and deliver software images on business desktop products. Hardware Evaluation Test Development The Evaluation Test Development (ETD) team designs and provides hardware and software test tools necessary to help ensure that the hardware components of HP products conform to published functional engineering design specifications. This engineering organization, established in 1988, is shared by most of HP. The ETD tools are used throughout all R&D organizations within the Personal Systems Group (PSG) and most R&D organizations within the Enterprise Systems Group (ESG), in manufacturing sites, and by HP field engineers. The ETD tests enable product development teams to better evaluate new designs and resolve most design issues, and they help improve manufacturing volume production. · Hardware and Software design evaluation tools--ETD tests emulate most states of a targeted subsystem, they are low cost and easy to setup, and they enable product teams to test a large number of units, which helps to identify yield failures. These tools provide detailed error messages that aid in debugging, and they provide reproducible test cases. · ETD HW and SW tests are executed on all business desktop products and are used on the following product sub-systems: ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Microprocessors and chipsets, including cache memory, interrupts, and timers System memory PCI/PCI-X/AGP/PCI Express Graphics subsystems Hard Drive and Removable Storage interfaces Network Interface Cards and modems Parallel, Serial, and USB 1.0/2.0 ports, Bluetooth, and Firewire Power Management Cardbus/PCMCIA Software Image Development Software Image Development is optimized for time-to-market delivery, quality, and release integrity. A dedicated tool development team was formed in 1998. Their charter was to design software image databases, processes, and tools that encompass the following elements: · Test Management--Database tools enable test teams to generate and manage test plans and test procedures in a centralized, repeatable environment with assurances that the test configurations conform to product definition and requirements. ­ Comprehensive test procedures within test plans contain pass/fail criteria that can be leveraged by any workgroup. Rigorous database rules help verify that each test procedure criteria is executed only when certain conditions are met. ­ Test configurations are tracked at the hardware revision level of each device, including firmware (FW)/BIOS revisions, and at the software versions level for each component used during software image download and test. 3 · Automated Test Environment--This enables test teams to download a products software image, automatically install the software to replicate the manner in which a typical customer might install it, automatically run test scripts, and then log results into the database. For a given product configuration, hundreds of different software downloads, installations, and tests can be logged with minimal time and effort. · Quality Assurance--Software image development databases and tools enable a complete, end-toend, repeatable image test process. All HW, FW, and SW changes are systematically managed. System checks are in place to help make sure that what gets built in any factory worldwide and sent to the customer is the same as what was tested and qualified in engineering. Types of Testing HP executes a vast array of testing on Business Desktop PCs to help ensure that systems meet important industry standards. Multiple engineering teams conduct various types of testing throughout the product development cycle. This helps mitigate risk by providing needed checks and balances and it helps to ensure a high HP standard of quality. These tests include, but are not limited to: System Board Validation Testing This testing focuses on the signal quality of high-speed interfaces, power delivery to system components, and ACPI power management. The System board is put through stress testing to help ensure that it will operate normally while running a variety of applications. Testing includes: · Signal Integrity Testing--This helps ensure proper signal quality on all major interfaces on the system board including front-side bus, memory bus, system clocks, USB (universal serial bus), SATA, and PCI / PCI Express buses. · Voltage Integrity Testing--This helps ensure that voltage regulators on the system board and in the power supply remain within HP Business Desktop specifications while running stress level testing. Additionally, voltage stress testing is conducted and measured on the various supported memory and processor configurations. · Power Management Testing--This helps ensure that the system will go into and come out of all supported low-power states including S1, S3, S4, and S5. Additionally, power cycle testing is conducted to simulate many years worth of power-up/power-down usage with a minimum of 10,000 consecutive no-fail cycles. · Fan control--This helps ensure that the system fan(s) runs at required minimum thermal and acoustic levels for customers' needs. Platform Validation Testing This testing focuses on chipset validation, new architectural chipset features, the system board, processor, system memory, system BIOS, and system-level hardware interoperability to help ensure platform component stability prior to incorporation into an integrated desktop solution. Testing includes: · System BIOS Testing--This is comprehensive validation and qualification of the system BIOS. Testing includes BIOS calls and functionality, supported BIOS features, and expected BIOS interoperability with the platform hardware and software. · System Board--This is comprehensive validation and qualification of the system board (PCB/PCA) including testing of the chipset functionality/feature set, subsystem (i.e., CPU, Memory, Graphics, Audio, PCI/PCIE, NIC, USB, IDE, LPC, etc.), and associated hardware components. 4 · Processor Qualification--This is comprehensive validation and qualification of each unique processor, including all processor frequency changes and all processor stepping changes. Processor qualifications are executed on all supported platforms. · System Memory Qualification--This is comprehensive validation and qualification of each unique memory module. System memory module qualifications are executed on each supported platform. Mechanical Validation Testing This testing focuses on environmental and Industrial Design factors for the chassis, power supply, and system board. Mechanical testing includes form, fit and function tests; paint finish; durability tests; and security tests to help ensure that the product can be assembled correctly. Additional testing includes: · Shock and Vibration Testing--Units are subjected to random vibration and shock to help ensure that the system functions correctly in harsh environments. · Packaging Testing--Boxed systems are subjected to resonance, random vibration, and multiple drops from various heights to help ensure that the packaging can withstand rough handling and protect the system. · Thermal Testing--Each system board, power supply, and integrated subsystem (memory, graphics, audio, NIC, etc.) is tested in elevated ambient, maximum power, and minimum power situations to help ensure that no component temperature specifications are exceeded. · Environmental Testing--Testing is conducted at various temperatures, altitudes, and humidity settings for extended periods of time to help ensure that the system design is reliable in many environments. · Acoustics Testing--This testing helps ensure quiet, reliable products. Acoustic e ...