Signal Generator & Perl Scripts

Spoorthy has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hi, I have never used perl till now. But we have a requirement to run huge number of tests on a particular hardware. Thinking of using Perl to automate the tests. I need help in understanding how I can use Perl. I can write those scripts if I am able to understand the setup.

Here are details of test setup:
1. We have a signal generator which can generate various waveforms. We have to select options from the application available on that box to generate various wave forms
2. Application runs on Windows XP. OS on the Signal Generator is Windows XP
3. Application/Signal Generator is accessible from other PCs too

Here are list of queries:
1. How can Perl interact with the application - Say, if I want to configure the Signal generator for generating particular waveform
2. Does this really need application APIs exposed for the automation? If they are not exposed, is there an alternative?
3. Is there any such automation tool already available somewhere? may be sourceforge??

Thanks a lot in advance for any kind of help in this regard.
~Spoo

Comment on Signal Generator & Perl Scripts

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Signal Generator & Perl Scripts by Anonymous Monk on Jun 19, 2007 at 07:12 UTC
Win32::API Win32::GuiTest	[reply]
Re: Signal Generator & Perl Scripts by adrianh (Chancellor) on Jun 21, 2007 at 13:24 UTC
You might also want to ask this on the perl-qa@perl.org mailing list - lots of Perl testing folk there who could help.	[reply]
Re: Signal Generator & Perl Scripts by jdporter (Paladin) on Jun 21, 2007 at 16:32 UTC
I think we (and you, probably) need a bit more information. It sounds like you're saying the normal GUI app for controlling the signal generator is on a different box than the signal generator. If this is the case, then there must be some kind of protocol across the wire. You should try to find out what this protocol is. If you're lucky, the maker of the signal generator has published this protocol, or maybe it's an open system and the protocol doc is readily available. If so, then writing a perl app to that protocol shouldn't be too hard. A word spoken in Mind will reach its own level, in the objective world, by its own weight	[reply]