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C) "TEST FRAME" FOR IrDA BIT-ERROR-RATE TEST: WHY DO WE NEED IT?

Most of the hardware components such as the IR transceiver, the encoder/
decoder or the integrated IrDA I/O chip are often tested by the component 
manufacturer to be IrDA compliant. Each software layer of course can also 
be individually tested to be IrDA compliant. However, when all these IrDA 
compliant components are put together, unexpected result may happen.

Once the engineering phase is done and manufacturing phase starts, there 
are many possibilities at the assembly line too. Also, after the manuf.
phase is done and the products are shipped, there remains the field 
service issue of screening test in the field or at service centers.

Methods for system testing must be planned and designed into the IrDA 
implementation, not an afterthought. A good system test methodology is 
essential to facilitate both engineering, the production and field service.

Most of engineering mishaps usually are "in the area between the Physical 
Layer and IrLAP". Production mishaps usually are "confined to Physical 
Layer only". Consequently, a very simple and effective system test is 
to access the optional test frame feature of IrLAP, particularly the 
test frame feature within a connection.

The test frame feature is very simple to implement in the device under 
test. This can usually be accomplished by "adding only 6 lines of C 
codes! (attached here)". If implemented, a specially programmed tester 
tool can fully exercise the Physical Layer and IrLAP layer in the 
device under test (DUT) automatically. This test can range from very 
thorough for engineering study or QC diagnosis to very speedy for 
production, quality control or field screening. Both fashions are 
especially useful for Inter-op test among different IrDA device classes.

Anybody who can implement IrDA stack can write it in 10 seconds! 
For such little effort and no overhead, one can enable such effective 
and convenient testing in the phases following the engineering 
implementation. We therefore, recommend that the Test Frame in the 
IrLAP layer to be mandatory.