View source for Abbreviated Test Language for All Systems

{{Short description|Computer programming language}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox programming language
| name                   = ATLAS
| logo                   =
| logo caption           = 
| collapsible            =
| screenshot             =
| screenshot caption     = 
| paradigm               = [[Multi-paradigm programming language|Multi-paradigm]]: [[Structured programming|structured]], [[Imperative programming|imperative]] ([[Procedural programming|procedural]]), [[Generic programming|generic]], [[Array programming|array]]
| family                 = ANSI/IEEE-716<br>ANSI/IEEE-416
| designer               = [[ARINC]]
| developer              = [[IEEE]]
| released               = {{Start date|1983|12|22|df=yes}}
| latest release version = C/ATLAS (1995)
| latest release date    = {{Start date and age|1995|03|16|df=yes}}
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date    = <!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=yes/no}} -->
| typing                 = [[Strong and weak typing|strong]], [[Type system|static]], [[Manifest typing|manifest]]
| scope                  = 
| programming language   = 
| discontinued           = yes
| platform               = 
| operating system       = Cross-Platform
| license                = None
| file ext               = {{code|.as}}, {{code|.lu}}, {{code|.tpsi}}
| file format            = 
| website                = <!-- {{url|www.example.com}} -->
| implementations        = 
| dialects               = 
| influenced by          = [[Fortran]]
| influenced             = 
}}

'''Abbreviated Test Language for All Systems''' ('''ATLAS''') is a specialized programming language for use with [[automatic test equipment]] (ATE). It is a [[compiled]] high-level [[computer language]] and can be used on any computer whose supporting [[software]] can [[translator (computing)|translate]] it into the appropriate [[low-level programming language|low-level instructions]].

== History ==
=== ATLAS Test Language ===
The original language was developed by [[Aeronautical Radio, Incorporated]] (ARINC) and standardized under ANSI/IEEE-Std-416 and released on 22 December 1983.<ref>{{cite web |title=IEEE Standard ATLAS Test Language |url=https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/416/631/ |website=IEEE Standards |publisher=IEEE SA |access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref> Its purpose was to serve as a standard programming language for testing and maintenance of electronic systems for military and commercial aerospace applications. The language was designed to be platform-independent.

The ATLAS language is oriented toward the [[Device under test|Unit Under Test]] (UUT) and is independent of the test equipment used. This allows [[interchangeability (computer science)|interchangeability]] of test procedures developed by different organizations, and thus reduces costly duplication of test programming effort.

The first ATLAS specification developed by the international committee was published in 1968. The basic document has been revised several times.

An ATLAS implementation typically consists of an online compiler (OLC), test executive (TEX or Test Exec), and [[file manager]] and media exchange (FMX) packages. ATLAS is run in TEX mode on test stations while testing [[electronic equipment]].

== Syntax and Structure ==
The structure of an ATLAS program is very similar to FORTRAN. Standard ATLAS program structure consists of two elements: preamble structure and procedural structure. The language makes extensive use of variables and statement syntax.{{Clarify|date=July 2019|reason=Does this mean something other than the obvious, common to any high-level programming language (i.e. any lang has variables and a required syntax)?}} An ATLAS statement consists of these fields:

 {{Var|F}} {{Var|STATNO}} {{Var|VERB}},{{Var|variable field}}$
* {{Var|FLAG}}: single character flag
* separator (space)
* {{Var|STATNO}}: statement number
* separator (space)
* {{Var|VERB}}: verb
* separator (comma)
* {{Var|variable field}}: format depends on {{Var|VERB}}
* statement terminator ($)

Sample ATLAS Statements:
  000250 DECLARE,DECIMAL,'A1'(4)$
  000300 FILL, 'A1', 'NUM',
          (1)    1,     5,
          (2)   20,    87,
          (3)   15,    12,
          (4)   $30,    18

Comments may be included with a 'C' in the {{Var|FLAG}} field.

These ATLAS statements apply a voltage to a pin (stimulus) and verify the presence and characteristics of a voltage at a pin:

 ...
   010200  APPLY, AC SIGNAL, VOLTAGE-PP 7.5V, FREQ 3&nbsp;kHz, CNX HI=P1-$1 
 ...
   010300  VERIFY, (VOLTAGE-AV INTO 'VAVG'), AC SIGNAL, VOLTAGE-PP RANGE 64V TO 1V, SAMPLE-WIDTH 10MSEC, 
           SYNC-VOLTAGE 2 MAX 5, SYNC-NEG-SLOPE, MAX-TIME 0.5, GO-TO-STEP 400 IF GO, LL 0.5 UL 50, 
           CNX HI=P2-4 LO=P2-5, SYNC HI=P2-8 LO=P2-$5  
 ...

== Applications ==
ATLAS has been used in the [[U.S. Air Force]] primarily on test stations for testing the avionic components of the [[EF-111A Raven]], [[F-15 Eagle]], [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]], [[C-5 Galaxy]], [[C-17 Globemaster III]], and [[B-1 Lancer]]. The [[U.S. Navy]] uses ATLAS-based programs for testing avionics systems of the [[P-3C Orion]], [[UH-1Y Venom]], [[AH-1Z Viper]], [[SH-60 Seahawk]], [[E-2C Hawkeye]], [[F-14 Tomcat]], [[F/A-18 Hornet]], [[S-3 Viking]], [[A-6 Intruder]], [[EA-6B Prowler]], [[AV8B|AV8B Harrier]], and [[V-22 Osprey]]. The U.S. Navy and [[U.S. Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] used a version called Super Atlas for its AN/USM-484 hybrid test set (HTS) test benches. The AN/USM-247 VAST (Versatile Avionics Shop Test) was used by the Navy onboard [[aircraft carrier]] and shore stations. It has been used in testing the F-14, S-3, E-2, [[LTV A-7 Corsair II|A-7 Corsair II]], A-6, etc. VAST is considered by many to be the grandfather of modern avionics test equipment.

In the years that followed the cold war, ATLAS found uses on many [[dual-use aircraft]]{{Clarify|date=July 2019|reason=Civil and military or...?}} for the U.S. and [[NATO]], as well as commercial business, regional, and [[general aviation]] aircraft.  ATLAS test program sets (TPS) allow porting older programs to new hardware, providing some protection against hardware obsolescence.  Although a standard, many adaptations, customizations, and flavors exist that impede full portability. Because most ATLAS toolsets are custom, on custom hardware, with a custom software load for the platform, it is not as prone to some types of issues that plague other languages that are more prevalent in the industry; the down side is that training is not available to the general public, so it also requires an extensive investment in personnel.

ATLAS generally can be configured to run "stand-alone", or "stand-alone{{Snd}} monitored only" which can help limit many of the tampering and other concerns with mainstream commercial software.  Other languages, such as [[BASIC]], [[C (programming language)|C]]/[[C++]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], and [[Perl]], are also used on commercial and military programs for testing of systems; ATLAS typically requires another computer system to either optically scan test results, or read a tape, disk, or locked memory stick/data key from a test station and then perform statistical analysis on test results for a variety of uses.

== Subsets ==
Subsets include:
{{columnslist|
* ATLAS-AISR
* ATLAS-AN/USM-410 (RCA EQUATE)
* ATLAS-ARINC-616
* ATLAS-ARINC-626 (SMART)
* ATLAS-ARINC-626-3
* ATLAS-B1-B
* ATLAS-B2
* ATLAS-CASS
* ATLAS-CRATE
* ATLAS-ESTS
* ATLAS-F2/1989
* ATLAS-F15-ADTS
* ATLAS-HTS
* ATLAS-IEEE-416-1984
* ATLAS-MATE
* ATLAS-RADCOM-1991 (AN/USM-467)
* ATLAS-RTCASS
* ATLAS-TETS (Marines)
* C/ATLAS-IEEE-716-1982, 1985, 1989, 1995
* C/ATLAS-ATSE-IFTE-1993, 1996
* MATLAS
}}

== Implementations ==
* TYX (now [[Astronics Corporation|Astronics]]) created a COTS ATLAS compiler, [[integrated development environment]] (IDE), and [[run time system]], called Professional ATLAS Work Station (PAWS), that ran on the original [[IBM PC]] and was later updated for all flavors of [[Microsoft Windows]].<ref name="Astronics">{{Cite web |url=https://www.astronics.com/productinfo?productgroup=Test%20%26%20Measurement&subproduct=Test%20Management%20Software&subitem=PAWS%20Developer%27s%20Studio%20for%20ATLAS |title=PAWS Developer's Studio for ATLAS |publisher=[[Astronics Corporation]] |access-date=July 1, 2019 }}</ref>
* [[Lexico]] made translators that would convert ATLAS code to run under [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]] [[Rocky Mountain BASIC]]. These were popular with [[McDonnell Douglas]], [[Boeing]], [[Honeywell]], etc.<ref name="CW-19810713">{{cite journal |title=UCC Net to Get 'Atlas' |journal=[[Computerworld]] |date=July 13, 1981 |volume=15 |issue=28 |page=[https://archive.org/details/computerworld1528unse/page/58 58] |url=https://archive.org/details/computerworld1528unse |access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref><ref name="HPCN-19850515">{{cite journal |last1=Nissim |first1=Mike |title=A-Series gives power and flexibility to ATS/1000 |journal=Computer News |date=May 15, 1985 |volume=10 |issue=14 |page=36 (PDF:53) |url=https://www.hpmuseum.net/pdf/ComputerNews_1985_May15_61pages_OCR.pdf |access-date=July 1, 2019 |publisher=[[Hewlett-Packard]] }}</ref>
* [[Grumman]] made an ATLAS compiler for their IFTE (Integrated Family of Test Equipment) V3 and V5 test stations.<ref name="AASC-201606">{{cite web |title=Integrated Family of Test Equipment (IFTE) |url=https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/cs-css-integrated-family-of-test-equipment-ifte/ |publisher=[[U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center]] |access-date=July 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210183655/https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/cs-css-integrated-family-of-test-equipment-ifte/ |archive-date=2017-02-10 |date=June 2016}}</ref>
* [[General Dynamics]] made a compiler for their F-16 test station.
* [[RCA Corporation|RCA]] developed a compiler for their [[EQUATE]] (Electronic Quality Assurance Test Equipment) testers.<ref name="ARDA-197503">{{cite journal |last1=McBurney |first1=Charles E. |title=ECOM-Developed EQUATE Electronic Test System Proves Tri-Service Capabilities |journal=Army Research and Development |date=November–December 1975 |volume=16 |issue=6 |page=29 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YKIrAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA5-PA29 |access-date=July 1, 2019 |publisher=[[U.S. Army Materiel Command]] |location=Alexandria, VA |issn=0004-2560 |oclc=2061490}}</ref>
* [[Marconi Electronic Systems|Marconi Space and Defence Systems]] (before they were Ferranti or GEC-Avionics) developed a compiler for their test systems called MATLAS. In the late 1980s/early 1990s, it was ported to an [[interpreted language]] on Windows called [[MABLE]] (an acronym for "Matlas Applications using BORIS Language Extensions"; BORIS is an acronym for "Bill's Own Run-time Interpretive System").
* [[Thorn EMI]] developed a version called [[EMIPAL]] (EMI's Programmable Atlas Language) for use on its in-house test equipment, ADEPT (an acronym for "[[Analogue and Digital Electronic Production Tester]]"). Three were built{{Snd}} two in the Dawley Road site in [[Hayes, Middlesex]], and another at the Wells site in [[Somerset]].

==See also==
* [[Programming language]]
* [[Automatic test equipment]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

* {{Cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235053881 |title=IDA Paper P-2917{{Snd}} Investment Strategy for DoD Automatic Test Systems{{Snd}} Volume II: Supporting Data |last1=Rolfe |first1=Robert M. |last2=Brown |first2=Herbert R. |date=January 1994 |publisher=[[Institute for Defense Analyses]] |location=Alexandria, VA, U.S. |format=PDF }}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051110020029/http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/scc20/atlas/ IEEE Standards Association ATLAS documents] ([[IEEE Standards Association]])

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbreviated Test Language For All Systems}}
[[Category:Avionics programming languages]]
[[Category:Programming languages supporting units of measure]]