OpenTAP is an open source test sequencer, specially developed for hardware testing: an engine that executes test steps in a defined order - repeatable, logged, automatable. As an OpenTAP partner and solution specialist, MCF consistently relies on this open standard.
powered by What is OpenTAP?
OpenTAP emerged from Keysight and Nokia's internal test automation solution and has been open source since 2019. The core is intentionally lean: an engine that executes test plans, manages resources, collects and reports results. Everything project-specific – test steps, device drivers, reporting, interfaces – is added as a plugin.
A test plan is a file: the tree of test steps including all parameters. It is versionable, comparable and runs identically in the graphic editor as well as fully automatically in the production line.
Source code open, usable free of charge – no vendor lock-in. An active community continues to develop the platform and shares over 100 plugins in the public repository.
Runs on Windows and Linux – built on the .NET platform.
The engine is deliberately small - everything project-specific (test steps, device drivers, reporting) is added as a plugin.
Graphical editor, terminal or interfaces like Tap.X – the operation is interchangeable, the test plan remains the same.
The difference
Whether it's a closed manufacturer's solution or a home-made solution that has grown over the years - the comparison shows where problems arise in everyday life.
Core concepts
The executable unit of the test sequence - measures, configures, controls or checks and delivers a verdict: the result of the step (including Pass, Fail, Inconclusive, Error).
The tree of test steps including parameters - a file, versionable in Git, executable in the editor and headless in production.
Everything with a connection to the outside world: devices under test (DUTs), instruments, result listeners. The engine connects and disconnects automatically.
The physical cabling as a model – ports, switching matrices, cable attenuation. Replugging does not mean reprogramming.
Results flow to CSV, database or MES – changing reporting never means changing test steps.
Plugins are distributed as versioned packages - with dependency checks, public repositories and your own company repositories.
Deepening: official documentation at doc.opentap.io · Source code at github.com/opentap · Plugin repository packages.opentap.io
Powerful plugin structure
Because everything project-specific in OpenTAP is available as a versioned plugin, test steps, device drivers and result listeners move between the locations without change - same blocks, same results, one maintenance status.
Test steps and device drivers are created on the development test bench – as versioned plugins.
The same plugins run unchanged in the series tester - no redevelopment, no porting.
The same building blocks are also reused for error analysis and laboratory setups.
OpenTAP vs. NI TestStand
Both are full-fledged test sequencers for electronics production - the differences lie in their openness, licensing model and expandability.
Your options
MCF is an official OpenTAP partner and has been consistently building test systems on the open standard for years.
The software platform makes OpenTAP usable for testers in production, development, analysis and laboratories - and scales for all types of test processes.
From OpenTAP beginners training to plugin development – MCF trains your team and provides support during operations.
You decide how much you take on yourself. MCF takes care of extensions, adjustments and maintenance for you at any time.
×Solutions PartnerRecognized by Keysight Technologies as an OpenTAP Solution Partner. MCF uses OpenTAP together with Tap.X for modern test systems and combines the OpenTAP ecosystem with experience in custom test system construction.
To the official OpenTAP articleMCF provides you with vendor-neutral advice, builds your test system based on OpenTAP and trains your team - from entry to plugin development.