Test Implementation Tools

These tools assist with testing at runtime - memory leak checkers, comparators, and a wide variety of others.

Current Listings

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Tools Listed Elsewhere

These tools are listed in a different category, but also offer features that are relevant for this page.

Rational Purify

Kind of Tool
Run-time Error Detection Tool
Organization
IBM Rational Software
http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/purify/
Software Description
Rational Purify is a powerful run-time error checking and memory leak detection tool. It combines comprehensive run-time error checking with an easy-to-use graphical interface. Purify helps users identify execution errors and memory leaks everywhere they occur within an application including source code, system or third party DLL's, COM components and Active X controls. Developers can eliminate run-time problems in all parts of their applications and deliver more reliable applications faster.
Platforms
UNIX, Windows

Listing Updated June 7, 1999
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dmalloc

Kind of Tool
Debugging malloc (freeware)
Organization
Gray Watson
http://dmalloc.com/
Software Description
The debug memory allocation or dmalloc library has been designed as a drop in replacement for the system's malloc, realloc, calloc, free and other memory management routines while providing powerful debugging facilities configurable at runtime. These facilities include such things as memory-leak tracking, fence-post write detection, file/line number reporting, and general logging of statistics.
Platforms
AIX, BSD/OS, DG/UX, Free/Net/ OpenBSD, GNU/Hurd, HPUX, Irix, Linux, MS-DOS, NeXT, OSF, SCO, Solaris, SunOS, Ultrix, Unixware, Windows, Unicos

Entry updated March 15, 2002.
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BoundsChecker

Kind of Tool
Bounds and memory leak detector
Organization
Compuware Corporation
http://www.compuware.com/products/devpartner/bounds.htm
Software Description
BoundsChecker detects invalid Windows API parameters, invalid Windows API return codes, invalid ANSI C parameters, invalid ANSI C return codes, memory leaks, resource leaks, dynamic memory overruns, stack memory overruns, data and heap corruptions, memory locking problems, null pointer manipulation, and processor faults.
Platforms:
Windows

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ZeroFault

Kind of Tool
ZeroFault is the next generation in active memory analysis tools.
Organization
The ZeroFault Group, LLC.
http://www.zerofault.com/
Software Description
ZeroFault is the next generation in active memory analysis tools. Using patent pending technology, ZeroFault detects and reports run-time memory problems before they become expensive. ZeroFault works on any AIX executable without recompilation, or relinking. Download a free evaluation copy today and try it on /bin/vi or any other program.
Platforms
RISC/6000 AIX versions 3.2.x,4.1.x,4.2

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HeapAgent

Kind of Tool
Memory error detection, including leaks, overwrites, invalid references
Organization
MicroQuill Software Publishing
http://www.microquill.com/
Software Description
HeapAgent is an interactive memory error debugging tool. Detects a broad range of heap and stack errors and reports more error information than any other tool. Includes tools for browsing live heap information to diagnose the cause of errors. No relinking/recompiling, works with debuggers, and causes minimal runtime slowdowns.
Platforms
Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP, Win 2000, NT 3.x and NT 4.0/Windows 95 and Windows 98

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EXDIFF

Kind of Tool
Extended Differencing Tool
Organization
Software Research, Inc.
http://www.soft.com/TestWorks/
Software Description
EXDIFF is the extended file differencing system which operates as a stand-alone product or as part of the fully integrated TestWorks/Regression multi-platform suite of testing tools. EXDIFF extends commonly available file-comparison utilities by comparing files of various logical structures. This includes not only ASCII and binary files, but also bitmap image files saved either with TestWorks/Regression's capture/playback system, CAPBAK, or the standard X Window Dump utility (xwd). Used in conjunction with its TestWorks/Regression companion tools CAPBAK and SMARTS, the testing process is completely automated.
Platforms
SPARC SunOS 4.1.3; SPARC Solaris 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.5.1, 2.6; x86 Solaris 2.4, 2.5; RS-6000/AIX 3.2.5, 4.1.2, 4.2; HP-9000/7xx HP-UX 9.05, 10.10; HP-9000/8xx HP-UX 9.04, 10.01, 10.10; x86 SCO/ODT 2.0, 5.0(3.0); SGI Irix 5.3, 6.2; DEC-Alpha OSF1 3.2, 4.0; NCR 3000; SCO/UnixWare 2.1.1; DOS; MS-Windows 3.x/95/98/NT/2000

Entry updated October 23, 2003.
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Aprobe

Kind of Tool
Dynamic Debugger
Organization
OC Systems
http://www.ocsystems.com/
Software Description
Aprobe is a testing/debugging tool that collects and analyzes data by instrumenting the executable - no waiting for special builds. Its probes, written in C, are non-intrusive and work on third party code. Uses of Aprobe include testing and integration, debugging, fault injection, performance tuning, requirements verification, and software maintenance.
Platforms
AIX, NT, and SUN Solaris

Entry added August 25, 1999.
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FREstimate

Kind of Tool
Software reliability prediction tool
Organization
SoftRel
http://www.softrel.com/

Entry added March 21, 2001.
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WhenToStop

Kind of Tool
Software reliability measurement tool, a component of Frestimate
Organization
SoftRel
http://www.softrel.com/prod02.htm

Entry added March 21, 2001.
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Inuse

Kind of Tool
A graphical tool that helps prevent several common memory problems by displaying and animating in real time the memory allocations performed by an application. An Insure++ add-on.
Organization
ParaSoft Corporation
http://www.parasoft.com/jsp/products/home.jsp?product=Inuse

Entry added April 4, 2001.
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mpatrol

Kind of Tool
malloc debugging library (freeware)
Organization
Graeme Roy
E-mail:
http://mpatrol.sourceforge.net/
Software Description
The mpatrol library can be used to diagnose heap errors and locate memory leaks. It is freely distributable under the GNU General Public License and comes with full source code and comprehensive documentation.
Platforms
Various UNIX, Windows, AmigaOS

Entry added April 27, 2001.
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MDBDiff

Kind of Tool
Access database structural comparison tool (freeware)
Organization
Pierce Business Systems
http://web.archive.org/web/20020804041013/jupiter.drw.net/matpie/PBSystems/products/retired/MDBDiff.html
Software Description
MDBDiff is a tool designed to quickly locate structural differences between two Microsoft Access databases (*.mdb files). The comparison is made on the following objects: tables, fields, indexes, relations, and queries. The structural differences analyzed include: changes, additions, and deletions of objects and properties of those objects. The user follows the intuitive wizard-like interface to select two Access databases to compare, enters any necessary security logon information, select the objects to compare, then selects an output type and location for the report that is built. Users can save settings to a text file for auto execution via command line.

Note: Pierce Business Systems is no longer in business, but the two versions of the tool are still available from the archive.org URL above.

Platforms
Windows (running Microsoft Access 97 or Access 2000)

Entry updated August 27, 2007.
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DateWise FileCompare

Kind of Tool
Automated token-by-token text and binary file comparison utility
Organization
DateWise, Ltd.
http://www.datewise.com/mt/
Software Description
Patented file comparison utility designed for both binary and text files with expected differences without requiring detailed file specification. Current versions support combinations of ASCII, EBCDIC, big endian, and little endian files. Automatically compares report files with varied dates/formats in the header (ignoring expected differences in the dates, while flagging unexpected differences, even in the heading dates), compares executables ignoring timestamps embedded by the compiling/linking process (telling the user what values were found for the timestamps within the files), etc.

DateWise's unique technique calculates the difference between two files, telling the user if the files matched and what the difference was between the files or where any unresolvable differences are located, just by providing the names of the two files. Furthermore, this tool does not require explicit delimiters (such as spaces or punctuation) to appear around the words or tokens contained in the text or binary files (unlike competitive word-by-word comparison utilities). The powerful technique is not a "silver bullet" because it uses a publicly known technology for producing its results (Patent No. 6,236,993 covers the technology the tool is based on. Other patents are pending.).

Platforms
Currently: MS-DOS, Windows, HP-UX, Solaris, and OS/390, but the tool was written in ANSI-C for portability to other platforms and we are willing to port it elsewhere.

Entry added June 18, 2001.
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InCtrl5

Kind of Tool
Monitor changes made by install programs
Organization
PC Magazine
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,25126,00.asp
Software Description
InCtrl5 is the fifth incarnation of one of PC Magazine's most popular utilities. By monitoring the changes made to your system when you install new software, it enables you to troubleshoot any unexpected problems that come up. Virtually every modern program uses an install utility that installs or updates files, and also may record data in the Registry, and update .ini files or other essential text files. A companion uninstall utility should precisely reverse the effects of the install utility. When a newly installed program causes existing applications to fail, or when the supplied uninstall utility can't complete its task, to restore your system you need a record of exactly what the original install utility did. InCtrl5 can provide this record.
Platforms
Windows 9x, NT, 2000, or Me

Entry update May 16, 2003.
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fakesmtpd

Kind of Tool
A Fake SMTP Daemon Written in Perl (freeware)
Organization
Jera Design
E-mail:
http://www.jera.com/
Software Description
Ever written an application that has to send mail? Ever try to debug it? Either you stub out the actual mail code, and risk not testing your system end-to-end, or you end up sending lots of email.

I wrote fakesmtpd to provide another alternative. Simply have your application use 'localhost' (127.0.0.1) as its SMTP server, and run fakesmtpd from a command line in another window on your system. When you send a message, fakesmtpd will receive it, just like a real SMTP server, but instead of sending the message, will just echo it to standard out. It also echoes all the steps in the SMTP protocol, so you can use it to debug your mail-sending code.

Distrubuted under the Perl Artistic License. See http://www.jera.com/tools/fakesmtpd/.

Platforms
Perl 5 required

Entry updated February 24, 2002.
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SSW Data Renovator 2000

Kind of Tool
Database Tool
Organization
Superior Software for Windows Pty Ltd
http://www.ssw.com.au/
Software Description
Compare and update Access database backends with SSW Data Renovator

If you've got client backend mdb files that are out of sync with the master version, let SSW Data Renovator generate difference reports for you to make the changes manually. Or step through the wizard and the data will be automatically moved into the new structure. Once in sync, use SSW Data PRO! to keep them that way.

Platforms
Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 or XP

Entry updated June 4, 2002.
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SSW Data Renovator 97

Kind of Tool
Database Tool
Organization
Superior Software for Windows Pty Ltd
http://www.ssw.com.au/
Software Description
Compare and update Access database backends with SSW Data Renovator

If youve got client backend mdb files that are out of sync with the master version, let SSW Data Renovator generate difference reports for you to make the changes manually. Or step through the wizard and the data will be automatically moved into the new structure. Once in sync, use SSW Data PRO! to keep them that way.

Platforms
Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 or XP

Entry updated June 4, 2002.
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Memory Validator

Kind of Tool
Automatic Memory Leak and Resource Leak Detector
Organization
Software Verification Limited
http://softwareverify.com/
Software Description
Memory Validator allows the detection of memory leaks in any C/C++ application running on Windows NT 4.0 or better. Memory Validator detects memory leaks, memory corruptions, uninitialised memory and memory buffer overflow errors. Memory Validator detects handle leaks. Memory Validator allows you to track COM object AddRef/Release and custom memory allocators. Memory Validator allows you to detect allocation and deallocation hotspots, perform complicated queries on the allocation history of the application, detect memory 'sandbars', view virtual memory graphically, view current object list. Support for performing regression tests with the output as HTML or XML is also present. Memory Validator can be extended via extension DLLs.

Most options in Memory Validator can be enabled/disabled, giving the user more control over how the tool works.

30 day trial evaluation is available from the website. Memory Validator is not freeware or shareware.

Platforms
Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP

Entry updated June 19, 2002.
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Expect

Kind of Tool
scripting language, based on tcl (freeware)
Organization
http://expect.nist.gov/
Software Description
Expect is a tool for automating interactive applications such as telnet, ftp, passwd, fsck, rlogin, tip, etc. Expect is also useful for testing these same applications. And by adding Tk, you can also wrap interactive applications in X11 GUIs.
Platforms
Unix, Windows NT.

Entry added June 17, 1998.
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MITS.Comm

Kind of Tool
MITS.Comm is a simulation tool which replaces third-party interfaces for development and regression testing.
Organization
Omsphere
http://www.omsphere.com/
Software Description
MITS.Comm is another unique test tool (that can be used in development and production), which simulates third party systems over any type of interface. It can simulate the context-sensitive responses that come back from Equifax, for example, when testing an application that does a credit check. Or it can simulate the connections to the telemetry and cryptologic systems on a communications satellite, so that the software can be tested while the interface hardware is waiting to be built to spec.
Platforms
PC/Win95/98/NT

Entry updated December 4, 2002.
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transistor radio

Kind of Tool
CPU monitor
Organization
available from many different vendors
Software Description
You can use a cheap transistor radio to monitor the activity of your CPU. Put the radio's antenna near your CPU and try various unused AM frequencies until you hear a steady pattern of clicks that change in correlation to your CPU's activity. This will serve as a rudimentary CPU monitor that will give you clues about what the computer is doing while you're running tests. FM frequencies may also work.

This technique is documented in "The Audio Monitor" chapter of the out-of-print book The Frozen Keyboard by Boris Beizer, and also mentioned briefly in the article "Boost Your Testing Super Powers" by James Bach.

Platforms
Works on many different platforms.

Entry updated May 13, 2003.
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Valgrind

Kind of Tool
Memory debugger for x86-GNU/Linux (freeware)
Organization
http://valgrind.org/
Software Description
Valgrind is a GPL'd system for debugging and profiling x86-Linux programs. With the tools that come with Valgrind, you can automatically detect many memory management and threading bugs, avoiding hours of frustrating bug-hunting, making your programs more stable. You can also perform detailed profiling to help speed up your programs.
Platforms
Linux/Intel

Entry updated October 28, 2004.
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MessageMagic

Kind of Tool
MessageMagic is a solution for testing embedded software components (processes, subsystems, etc)
Organization
Elvior Ltd
http://messagemagic.elvior.ee/
Software Description
MessageMagic is a high-end testing system for embedded applications that use communications. Containing a set of powerful tools for simulation, stimulation and visualization, MessageMagic can be used in all phases, from the earliest, when target hardware doesn't exist, all the way through to integration testing.
Platforms
Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional

Entry updated August 25, 2003.
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Camtasia

Kind of Tool
Video Screen Recorder Software
Organization
TechSmith Corporation
http://www.techsmith.com/
Software Description
Easily capture and share anything on your screen. Images, text, objects, and more. Capture anything displayed on your screen as an image, text, or video. Even capture scrolling pages and images from program files, digital cameras, and scanners. SnagIt automatically sends the capture to the printer, saves it as a file, uploads it to a website, and more! Automate all of your repetitive screen capture tasks. Organize and professionally edit your captures with Catalog Browser and SnagIt Studio, included in this suite of imaging tools.
Platforms
Win95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

Entry added January 31, 2002.
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SnagIt

Kind of Tool
Screen Capture Software
Organization
TechSmith Corporation
http://www.techsmith.com/
Software Description
Easily capture and share anything on your screen. Images, text, objects, and more! Capture anything displayed on your screen as an image, text, or video. Even capture scrolling pages and images from program files, digital cameras, and scanners. SnagIt automatically sends the capture to the printer, saves it as a file, uploads it to a website, and more! Automate all of your repetitive screen capture tasks. Organize and professionally edit your captures with Catalog Browser and SnagIt Studio, included in this suite of imaging tools.
Platforms
Win95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

Entry updated January 31, 2002.
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BB TestAssistant

Kind of Tool
Screen recorder for making movie bug reports.
Organization
Blueberry Software
http://bbconsult.co.uk/
Software Description
BB TestAssistant is a screen recording program aimed at those who test software, systems or websites. It records video, sound, keystrokes and mouse activity on the target PC, making it into a movie that's easy to view and distribute. Just start recording and carry on testing; when you find a bug just click 'Stop' to create a movie that's ready to send to the development team. BB TestAssistant can also catch severe Windows application errors automatically. Radical new technology means BB TestAssistant makes perfect recordings with minimal impact on PC performance. Custom compression engine means compact movies, perfect for emailing. A movie is a quicker and clearer way to communicate issues to the development team than trying to explain the problem in words or using static screenshots. Improve communications by showing developers exactly what happened and boost tester effectiveness by catching intermittent bugs.
Platforms
Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003

Entry updated March 31, 2005.
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vSIM

Kind of Tool
simulation, behavior modeling of interfaces
Organization
veriSMART Software
http://www.verismartsoftware.com/
Software Description
vSIM is a very unique test technology that sits between systems and learns the behavior of the message traffic...(NOT a record/replay, but an intelligent engine). It then uses this knowledge base to discover, configure, simulate, test, and monitor applications and/or devices on a network. The result is a capability to develop, test, and deploy systems without all of the components being available.
Platforms
Sits on a Windows platform, but can be used with any protocol, message structure, or any other application in any other system with any other operating system.

Entry updated July 19, 2005.
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LISA Continuous Validation Service

Kind of Tool
The "Always On" build time, runtime, and change time quality governance and certification platform for SOA
Organization
iTKO, Inc.
http://www.itko.com/site/products/lisa/continuous_validation.jsp
Software Description
LISA Continuous Validation Service (LISA CVS) orchestrates the testing and validation aspects of SOA Governance, to ensure reliability and instill trust throughout the lifecycle of the application. Making a change to one part of an application in a build, or adding a new service consumer, can create a "ripple effect" of unintended consequences throughout the application. Therefore, LISA conducts live regression, functional and performance monitoring of critical business workflows on a continuous basis, providing an actionable way to enforce that expected business Policies are being met.
Platforms
Win XP/2000/Me/Vista, Mac OS X, Unix, Linux, Solaris

Entry updated December 11, 2007.
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LISA Virtual Service Environment

Kind of Tool
Virtualization for Services and underlying implementations for collaborative testing and development.
Organization
iTKO, Inc.
http://www.itko.com/site/products/lisa/virtual_service.jsp
Software Description
The new LISA Virtual Service Environment (LISA VSE) enables both simulation of service assets that are not yet completed, and Emulation of the behaviors of live Services and their underlying implementations, providing a robust solution for increasing collaboration across the entire SOA software delivery lifecycle.
Platforms
Win XP/2000/Me/Vista, Mac OSX, Unix, Linux, Solaris

Entry updated December 11, 2007.
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csvdiff

Kind of Tool
Compare two csv files with multiple features (freeware)
Organization
http://csvdiff.sourceforge.net/
Software Description
csvdiff is a perl script to compare/diff two comma-separated files with each other. The part that is different to standard diff is, that you'll get the number of the record where the difference occours and the field/column which is different. The separator can be set to the value you want it to, not just comma. Also you can to provide a third file which contains the columnnames in one(!) line separated by your separator. If you do so, column names are shown if a difference is found.

csvdiff v1.2 has folowing features: choosable field separator, multiple column key, ignore upper/lower case, trim leading/tailing spaces, fade out selected columns for comparision, sort data before comparing it, ignore empty lines

Platforms
Linux, Unix, Windows - everywhere you can run Perl

Entry updated July 5, 2006.
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SQL DB Validator

Kind of Tool
Database and cube testing tool.
Organization
C and C Productions
http://www.candcprod.com/
Software Description
Performs database and data cube verification and validation testing. Tests the content of a database extract against its original data store using the specific SQL syntax for each of the data sources.

Tests can be contained in a single file and each test can be configured to connect to different data sources. This allows the user to: 1. Compare the content of a Excel report populated from a cube, against the original content in the database. 2. Compare the content of a data cube with the original database.

Special features:

  1. Tests can compare data content, date content, or row counts.
  2. Concurrent test execution ensures tests will run in the shortest possible time. They may also be run sequentially.
  3. A command line interface allows for integration with most test automation systems.
  4. A customizable Syntax Highlighting Editor, which can aid in query design, is integrated into the tool.
Platforms
WIN2000, WINXP, WIN2003

Entry updated August 31, 2006.
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ACA Capture Pro

Kind of Tool
Screen capture software, take screenshot from Windows screen and recording screen actions
Organization
ACASystems
http://www.acasystems.com/en/screencapturepro/
Software Description
ACA Capture Pro is Windows screen capture software, it captures screen images, web pages, Flash, icon, menu from your Windows screen even those hard-to-grab DirectX, Direct3D games or video player, records video from screen actions to movie file. With ACA Capture Pro's many features, you can supercharge your Print Screen key and save time and enhance your screen shots.
Platforms
WinNT/2000/XP/2003/Vista

Entry updated September 3, 2008.
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TestExplorer

Kind of Tool
Software Suite for Manual Testing
Organization
Sirius Software Quality Associates, Inc.
http://testexplorer.com/
Software Description
TestExplorer is a suite of software testing tools that brings the power and organization normally found in automated testing tools to the process of manual testing. By using TestExplorer, testers can focus more on testing the application and less on managing the work of manual testing. The process of manual testing becomes more streamlined, more efficient and more accountable, with integrated charter management, defect tracking, analysis and reports.
Platforms
Windows NT and higher.

Entry updated February 26, 2007.
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fakemail

Kind of Tool
Fake mail server that captures emails as files for acceptance testing.
Organization
Last Craft
http://www.lastcraft.com/fakemail.php

Entry updated March 17, 2009.
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USBTester

Kind of Tool
A Software-Only USB Testing Application Tool
Organization
Jungo Ltd
http://www.jungo.com/st/usb_testing.html
Software Description
As USB connectivity became a key feature in all embedded devices, the ability to test and verify USB compliancy during development and integration becomes a major and complex effort, yet a must in order to ensure a successful deployment.

Jungo's USBTester is a software-only USB testing application tool that enables USB developers to quickly validate their USB devices for USB compatibility, Chapter 9 conformance, standard class driver functionality, performance and other relevant parameters.

Platforms
USBTester v0.81: Windows XP with Service Pack 2, .NET framework v2.0. NOTE: USBTester may also work with newer versions of Windows but this has not been tested in the current version.

Entry updated December 13, 2006.
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