We at HiLevel learned very early on that the importance of forward compatibility of test files could be a big deciding factor in the choice to upgrade. The cost of the new tester itself can be minor compared to the many man-hours (perhaps thousands!) already invested by the customer in test development. Here are a few frank questions that have been asked by our users over the years.

Can I use my ETS370 .set and .trn files on my new Dragon tester?
Yes. Your Dragon will be using ETS2k software running on USB. Even though your ETS370 may have been using ETSNT over a different interface, the setup and vector files will load directly into the Dragon.

When I load my old setup and vector files into my new HiLevel, I get a message that hardware inconsistencies were detected. Does this mean that my files are not compatible?
No. Typically this means that the files contain more tester channels than you have in your new system. You can easily eliminate the message by using the “View Setfile” feature in the software, and it will automatically remove the extra pins from the setfile. But the best way to be fully compatible is to install more pin cards in your new tester. The files will still load as-is, but you won’t be able to use pins that aren’t there.

I have a lot of vectors created on my old Topaz-V. Can I load them into my new Griffin tester?
Yes. Even .trn files created on a 1988 DOS-based HiLevel machine will load into your new system that is using Symphony software. Whether it’s ETSNT, ETS2k, or Symphony, the vector file structure is forward compatible.

Are HiLevel files also backward compatible?
Well, we can’t really say that you can easily go backwards, but to some extent, yes. Remember, each new generation of HiLevel tester has more power and capability, so if your new files utilize things your old tester doesn’t have it’s obviously not something that can be supported. For example, if you develop 4Meg of vectors on your Dragon and try to load them into a 1Meg ETS570, you can only expect the first 1Meg of vectors to be there.

Will AutoTest files from ETSNT run in the new software?
They should work normally. However, these ATX files may be the old binary form. They should still load into Symphony, which will convert them to ASCII in the Test Setup window. Then just re-save the ATX file and it will run.

HiLevel has always made forward compatibility a top priority throughout product evolution. You want the latest and greatest tester from HiLevel, and we won’t leave you holding the bag after all of your hard work in test development. Move forward with confidence when you choose HiLevel!

Also See:

Q'nApp #L1: PinList Function
Q'nApp #L16: ETSNT Files

QL29.zip is a zipped Word file of this Q'nApp.

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