Test
Working Group
Status: ACTIVE
About the Group
Chair
Parthasarathy Raju, BitifEye Digital Test Solutions GmbH
Participation
MIPI Alliance members at the Contributor level and above may participate by subscribing to the group on the member website.
The TWG particularly encourages test service providers to participate in the TWG, as well as the MIPI Alliance specification working groups.
Details
Charter
The MIPI Test Working Group (TWG) functions in an advisory role for all MIPI Alliance working groups that develop specifications. The MIPI Test Working Group itself does not produce any specifications. Rather, it promotes an awareness of test issues and encourages development of test-related materials, and advises the MIPI Alliance Board of Directors on all test-related issues and questions concerning evaluation of conformance. The group also encourages members to participate in conformance and interoperability test activities.
The MIPI Test Working Group operates under a mandate established in the MIPI Alliance Test Policy, approved by the MIPI Alliance Board of Directors in 2012 and updated in 2016. The policy strongly encourages members to participate in test activities to promote product quality, speed the overall development process, and improve manufacturability of products that use MIPI specifications.
Role and Scope
The TWG also emphasizes the importance of two principles of specification development:
- promoting development of features that support “design for testability” to make it easier to develop and test an implementation
- promoting “design for manufacturability” so products built with MIPI specifications can be more easily manufactured, and potential problems can be identified prior to production and fixed during development
While MIPI Alliance encourages testing, it does not judge whether products comply with or conform to its specifications. The organization does not mandate testing of products that use its specifications, nor does it endorse/approve test equipment, test tools, or develop equipment-specific documents. Test service providers may apply to be listed as an Independent Test Lab, but otherwise, MIPI Alliance does not endorse labs or services.
The Test Working Group encourages all MIPI Alliance working groups to develop Conformance Test Suite (CTS) documents for their specifications to help the industry consolidate around a common set of test methods. The TWG assists working groups in the development and approval of CTS documents. The TWG also supports the maintenance of CTS documents.
Further, the TWG does not arrange test events directly but assists other working groups in arranging test events. The TWG strongly advocates that members hold conformance testing events and/or interoperability testing events (a.k.a. “plugfests”) to facilitate convenient product testing or to determine how well their products work together. All members, particularly independent test labs and test services companies, are also encouraged to organize events.
MIPI Test Working Group FAQs
What is the MIPI Alliance Test Policy?
MIPI Alliance developed and maintains a policy to state clearly, to its members, its relationship to product testing and evaluation. The policy strongly encourages members to participate in test activities to promote product quality, speed the overall development process, and improve manufacturability of products that use MIPI Alliance specifications. The MIPI Alliance Test Policy, established by the board of directors in 2012 and updated by the board in 2016, also provides the mandate for the Test Working Group.
What is the purpose of the Test Working Group?
Unlike most MIPI Alliance working groups, the Test Working Group itself does not produce any specifications. Instead, it functions in an advisory role for all MIPI Alliance working groups that do develop specifications. It promotes an awareness of test issues and encourages development of test-related materials.
The Test Working Group also advises the MIPI Alliance Board of Directors on all test-related issues and conformance questions. It encourages members to participate in conformance and interoperability test activities.
What specific issues does the Test Working Group advocate to MIPI Alliance Working Groups?
The Test Working Group encourages all other MIPI Alliance working groups to develop Conformance Test Suite (CTS) documents for their specifications to help the industry consolidate around a common set of test methods. The Test Working Group assists other working groups in the development of CTS documents.
The Test Working Group also raises awareness of the importance of two principles of specification development: 1) promoting development of features that support “design for testability” to make it easier to develop and test an implementation; and 2) promoting “design for manufacturability” so products built with MIPI Alliance specifications can be more easily manufactured and potential problems can be identified prior to production and fixed during development.
Does the Test Working Group determine compliance or conformance?
No, the intent in forming the Test Working Group was not to evaluate or test implementations. MIPI Alliance does not judge whether products comply with or conform to its specifications. Furthermore, MIPI Alliance does not mandate testing of products that use its specifications, nor does it endorse/approve test equipment, test tools, labs or services, or develop equipment-specific documents.
How does the Test Working Group encourage testing of MIPI-based products?
The Test Working Group does not arrange test events directly but assists other WGs in arranging test events. The TWG strongly advocates that members hold conformance testing events and/or interoperability testing events (a.k.a. “plugfests”) to facilitate convenient product testing or to determine how well their products work together.
The Test Policy approved in 2016 allows and encourages MIPI Alliance working groups to organize these test activities. All members, particularly independent test labs and test services companies, are also encouraged to organize events.
Who can participate in the Test Working Group?
MIPI Alliance contributor, promoter, and founder members are welcome to join.
Who can participate in interoperability events?
Once a specification is released, MIPI Alliance recommends that test event organizers invite participation from all levels of members who have implemented a MIPI specification in their products. Prior to a MIPI specification’s release, participation requires access to working group materials and typically consists of active working group members.
We encourage test service providers to join MIPI Alliance and participate in the Test Working Group as well as our specification working groups. Participation helps companies stay informed about testing needs and upcoming events.