Test apparatus, test method and system

1. A test apparatus for testing a device under test, comprising:

a control apparatus that controls a test of the device under test;

a plurality of test modules that exchange signals with the device under test; and

a plurality of relay apparatuses that connect the control apparatus and the plurality of test modules, each relay apparatus including (1) an upper port section connected either to the control apparatus or to a relay apparatus nearer the control apparatus; and (2) at least one lower port section connected either to a relay apparatus nearer the plurality of test modules or to a corresponding test module, wherein

each relay apparatus receives, at one of the at least one lower port section, a packet transmitted from the corresponding test module to the control apparatus, and transmits, from the upper port section, the received packet after adding thereto port identification information of the one of the at least one lower port section, and

the control apparatus identifies, based on port identification information of each of lower port sections positioned on a path from the corresponding test module to the control apparatus, path information to the test module having transmitted the packet.

2. The test apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control apparatus includes a transmission section that transmits, via the plurality of relay apparatuses to the plurality of test modules, a path information read command for recognizing the plurality of test modules connected to the control apparatus via the plurality of relay apparatuses,

each of the plurality of test modules returns a return packet including module identification information identifying the test module to the relay apparatus or the control apparatus connected to the test module, and

each of the plurality of relay apparatuses transmits, from the upper port section, the return packet received by the lower port section after adding thereto port identification information of the lower port section.

3. The test apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the control apparatus includes:

an assigning section that, in response to reception of the return packet returned from each of the plurality of test modules in response to the path information read command, assigns a logic number to the test module; and

a storage section that stores the path information based on the return packet from the test module in association with the logic number.

4. The test apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

in response to initialization of an association between the logic numbers and the path information, the storage section associates logic numbers to the lower port sections of the relay apparatus connected to the control apparatus, and stores the path information indicating that a broadcast read should be transmitted from the lower port sections to a lower side.

5. The test apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

in response to reception of an access request to the test module corresponding to a designated logic number, the transmission section of the control apparatus reads, from the storage section, the path information associated with the designated logic number, and further transmits a packet including the path information as a destination, to the relay apparatus connected to the control apparatus, and

each of the plurality of relay apparatuses transmits a packet received by the upper port section, from the lower port section designated by the path information of the packet, to a lower side.

6. The test apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the control apparatus includes:

a reception determining section that determines whether the return packet from each of the plurality of test modules has been received in response to transmission of a broadcast read to the plurality of test modules; and

a generating section that generates a return value based on return data from the plurality of test modules, when it is determined that the return packets have been received from all the plurality of test modules.

7. The test apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the return value generating section generates, as the return value, a bitmap in which pieces of return data from the plurality of test modules are arranged.

8. The test apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the return value generating section generates, as the return value, AND, inverted AND, logical OR, or NOR of pieces of return data from the plurality of test modules.

9. A test method performed by a test apparatus that tests a device under test, wherein

the test apparatus includes:

a control apparatus that controls a test of the device under test;

a plurality of test modules that exchange signals with the device under test; and

a plurality of relay apparatuses that connect the control apparatus and the plurality of test modules, each relay apparatus including (1) an upper port section connected either to the control apparatus or to a relay apparatus nearer the control apparatus; and (2) at least one lower port section connected either to a relay apparatus nearer the plurality of test modules or to a corresponding test module, the method comprising:

receiving, by each relay apparatus, at one of the at least one lower port section, a packet transmitted from the corresponding test module to the control apparatus, and transmitting, from the upper port section, the received packet after adding thereto port identification information of the one of the at least one lower port section, and

identifying, by the control apparatus, based on port identification information of each of lower port sections positioned on a path from the corresponding test module to the control apparatus, path information to the test module having transmitted the packet.

10. A system comprising:

a control apparatus;

a plurality of modules; and

a plurality of relay apparatuses that connect the control apparatus and the plurality of modules, each relay apparatus including (1) an upper port section connected either to the control apparatus or to a relay apparatus nearer the control apparatus; and (2) at least one lower port section connected either to a relay apparatus nearer the plurality of modules or to a corresponding module, wherein

each relay apparatus receives, at one of the at least one lower port section, a packet transmitted from the corresponding module to the control apparatus, and transmits, from the upper port section, the received packet after adding thereto port identification information of the one of the at least one lower port section, and

the control apparatus identifies, based on port identification information of each of the lower port sections positioned on a path from the corresponding module to the control apparatus, path information to the module having transmitted the packet.