What is the LAA?

The LAA is a fully integrated Embedded Device Testing Harness.

Overview

The LAA allows to quickly integrate a new DUT into the LAVA test framework by providing all the necessary hardware components to automatically test your software (from the firmware to user space applications) on your hardware.

The LAA is made of two elements:

  • a Standard Interface Board (or SIB)

  • a Mechanical Interface Board (or MIB)

LAA components

A Device Under Test (aka DUT) is placed on top of the MIB. The list of supported devices is listed in the devices section.

Standard Interface Board

The standard interface board (SIB) is the brain of the LAA that will connect to the fleet management software (LMS).

The SIB will allow to remotely test your software on the local Device Under Test (DUT) connected to the MIB.

The SIB is providing all the necessary hardware components to automate tests on the DUT:

  • managed power rails: 1v8, 3v3, 5v and 12v

  • managed USB hub: 1 type-C PD and 3 type-A

  • a USB OTG port

  • a serial for the DUT

  • virtual buttons

  • a private ethernet port

  • a thermal probe (measuring DUT temperature)

  • …

The SIB is also providing some general purpose features:

  • an OLED display

  • a public ethernet port

  • NVMe drive for the LAA OS

  • …

Mechanical Interface Board

The MIB is a separate board that provides basic PCB mapping between the SIB and the DUT.

This helps to solve the problem that no two embedded platforms are alike, and hand wiring has been found to be unreliable, historically causing many hardware faults in labs post-installation due to rack vibrations, slight board movements, etc.

The stability provided in a setup using mechanical connectors such as on MIBs greatly improves lab installation long-term reliability and sustainability.

MIBs can also be customized to include active circuitry for use cases requiring voltage stepping, external regulators for automation control, and SIB expansion GPIO for component control.

Currently, we provide 3 different MIBs:

Custom MIB

For specific boards, it’s easy to create a custom MIB that will allow to streamline enablement.

A LAVA worker

The Linaro Automation Appliance is a fully integrated LAVA worker.

The LAVA worker is fully configured from the fleet management software. You only need to specify the LAVA instance to use and the attached DUT and the Linaro Automation Appliance will be automatically configured in your LAVA server.