Test system

1. A test system for testing transaction processing equipment, the test system comprising:

a probe,

a test controller, and

a controller interface for capturing monitored data, wherein, the probe comprises:

a card reader for reading a card presented for a test and for routing card data to a terminal of said transaction processing equipment,

an interface to the transaction terminal, said interface being connected to the card reader,

a monitoring circuit to passively monitor data transmitted from the terminal to a card and data transmitted from the card to the terminal, wherein the monitoring circuit monitors signals via an opto-isolator, and

a switch connected to the opto-isolator for switching between card signal frequencies to choose an appropriate frequency;

the system comprises a database for storing monitored data and transaction conformance data;

the system comprises a transaction conformance verifier for verifying operations of the transaction processing equipment

under test by comparing monitored data and the conformance data.

2. The test system as claim in claim 1 , wherein the probe routes the card data to the controller interface.

3. The test system as claim in claim 1 , wherein the probe routes the card data on a hard-wired link to contact pads on the interface to the transaction terminal.

4. The test system as claim in claim 3 , wherein the interface has at its extremity a configuration identical to that of a card, but is longer than a card to accommodate different terminal physical configurations.

5. The test system as claim in claim 1 , wherein the probe comprises a control unit for generating probe status outputs.

6. The test system as claim in claim 5 , wherein the outputs indicate if the probe is transmitting monitored data to the controller interface.

7. The test system as claim in claim 5 , wherein

the outputs indicate if a card is correctly inserted into the probe.

8. The test system as claim in claim 5 , wherein the outputs indicate if the probe is correctly connected to the terminal.

9. The test system as claim in claim 1 , wherein the probe converts the monitored data to a test controller format, and routes it in that format to the test controller.

10. The test system as claim in claim 1 , wherein the test controller comprises an interface to the terminal and an interface to an external transaction processing system.

11. The test system as claim in claim 10 , wherein the test controller performs bi-directional routing between the terminal and the external system.

12. The test system as claim in claim 1 , wherein the test controller comprises parsers for parsing monitored data and converting it into normalized format for the database.

13. The test system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the test controller comprises a switch engine for reading normalized data from the database and routing normalized data according to rules in the database.

14. The test system as claim in claim 12 , wherein the test controller comprises a switch engine for reading normalized data from the database and routing normalized data according to rules in the database; and wherein the switch engine uses elements of normalized data to execute said rules.

15. The test system as claim in claim 12 , wherein the test controller comprises a switch engine for reading normalized data from the database and routing normalized data according to rules in the database; and wherein the switch engine uses elements of normalized data to execute said rules; and wherein the routing decisions may be to reject traffic, authorise data and return it to its source, or route data to a different communications parser.

16. The test system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the test controller comprises a switch engine for reading normalized data from the database and routing normalized data according to rules in the database; and wherein the switch engine routes data to the conformance verifier for verification according to rules in the database.

17. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the verifier is configured to perform conformance verification in a mode having the following data monitoring points:

a first point between the card and the terminal;

a second point between the terminal and the card;

a third point between the terminaL and the test system;

a fourth point between the test system and the terminal;

a fifth point between the external transaction processing system and the test system; and

a sixth point between the test system and the external transaction processing system.

18. The test system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the verifier is configured to perform conformance verification in a mode having only the first, second, third, and fourth points.

19. The test system as claim in claim 17 , wherein the verifier is configured to perform conformance verification in a mode having only the first, second, third, and fourth points; and wherein the test controller comprises a simulator for simulating an external transaction processing system as seen by the terminal.

20. The test system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the verifier is configured to perform conformance verification with data from only the first and second points.

21. The test system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the verifier is configured to perform conformance verification with data from only the fifth and sixth points.

22. The test system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the verifier is configured to perform conformance verification with data from only the fifth and sixth points; and wherein the test system comprises a simulator for simulating a terminal as seen by an external transaction processing system.