Node A6 · Acronym decoder
ATE
Automatic Test Equipment
What it actually means
External test stations that automatically exercise a unit under test and diagnose faults — the shop-level machinery that repairs come home to. ATE and built-in test divide the diagnostic labor: BIT detects and isolates in the field, ATE confirms and repairs in the shop, and gaps between their fault coverage become "cannot duplicate" nightmares.
Where you'll meet it
Depot and intermediate-level maintenance, and testability requirements flowdown.