OpenTAP®
OpenTAP is an open source, cross-platform test sequencer for hardware and software test automation. OpenTAP features a highly modular architecture, optimized to support test and measurement applications. It offers plugins for instrument drivers, result listeners, and user interfaces that snap together into automation solutions.
Now, OpenTAP is built to support agentic test automation. It gives test engineers and AI agents a shared, MCP-compliant interface to plan, run, and optimize test sequences together. Its architecture is AI-composable, letting both humans and AI agents use and extend it for sophisticated testing scenarios. And, it's model-agnostic, supporting any LLM or agent framework for interaction and integration.
OpenTAP boasts a global community of contributors and a dynamic ecosystem of plugin developers, offering a rich and open capability set. Now those capabilities extend to AI-driven workflows, from early prototyping to high-volume manufacturing, supporting a person writing a test plan or an agent composing one autonomously.
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OpenTAP Technology
OpenTAP is built for simplicity, scalability, and speed, with an extensible cross-platform architecture built on the .NET Platform. From its wide range of sequencing functionality and infrastructure, you can quickly develop plugins tailored to your automation needs. Plugins can include drivers for SCPI-based instruments or anything else with an API, result listeners to capture and format data, as well as user interfaces — and now, agent-facing interfaces.
OpenTAP itself is distributed under a component-scope copyleft license (MPL 2.0), widely interoperable and cross licensable with other popular open source licenses, and proprietary licenses too. Importantly, you can choose to share plugins with the OpenTAP community, or retain them as proprietary IP.
OpenTAP consists of multiple components, including
The OpenTAP core engine
A command line interface for installing plugins and running test plans
Available GUI test plan editors on Windows, Linux and macOS
A Package Manager for managing installed plugins
An MCP server for exposing OpenTAP sequencing, plugins, and results capabilities to AI agents
Built for the Agentic Era
OpenTAP now speaks the language of AI agents as fluently as it speaks to test engineers.
Agentic Test Automation — Let agents plan, run, and adapt test sequences alongside your team. OpenTAP's core engine and Package Manager can be driven by an autonomous agent just as easily as by a person, enabling test plans that assemble, execute, and refine themselves.
MCP-Compliant — OpenTAP exposes its sequencing engine, plugins, and results through the Model Context Protocol, giving any MCP-aware agent a standard, discoverable way to interact with your test infrastructure — no custom integration required.
Model Agnostic — OpenTAP doesn't lock you into one AI provider. Connect the LLM or agent framework of your choice, today or as the landscape evolves, without changing your underlying test automation.
Modular and AI-Composable —The same modular architecture that lets engineers build plugins for instruments, result listeners, and UIs lets agents compose those same building blocks into new test solutions — extensible, adaptable, and ready for tomorrow's problems.
An Interface for Agents and Engineers
Whether it's a test engineer at the keyboard or an agent working through the MCP interface, OpenTAP provides one consistent way in — so people and AI can collaborate on the same test plans, plugins, and results.
The Power of OpenTAP
At the core of OpenTAP is a scalable test sequencer proven in hundreds of products and test and measurement applications. OpenTAP supports all phases of the product life cycle, from early simulation and prototyping all the way to high-volume manufacturing. Test structure and parameters are fully exposed for and interoperable with AI agents. Popular LLMs are also already trained on OpenTAP and the OpenTAP architecture, easing reuse and workflow integration.
OpenTAP users — human and AI alike — benefit from
Simplicity
Develop new automation solutions easily. There's no new language to learn. Get started right away with fast installation, eye-opening examples, and a community of helpful peers.
Scalability
Solve today's problems while preparing for tomorrow. Create adaptable, extensible plugins with a modern, modular software architecture — one that's as composable for human test engineers as it is for AI agents.
Speed
Accelerate development, deployment, execution, and optimization of test software. Bring products to market faster in demanding segments such as telecom, automotive, consumer electronics, and more.
Join the OpenTAP Ecosystem
Getting Started
Effortless Automation
Open source communities have improved the world of software development. Now a new community is redefining the world of test and measurement — with AI agents joining engineers at the table — and you're invited to join.
Whatever you're testing – components, devices, or entire systems – you have the same goals as thousands of test engineers worldwide. You need to automate test and measurement for economies of scale and faster time-to-market, and increasingly, you need your automation to work seamlessly with AI agents.
Maybe you've been frustrated by your choices to date. Proprietary commercial products can box you in, and homegrown test platforms consume precious in-house resources.
Simplicity, scalability, and speed
Easily used by both beginning and experienced test developers — and now, by AI agents
A modular, AI-composable architecture supports straightforward integration of plugins to address unique challenges
An MCP-compliant, model-agnostic interface lowers overhead to optimize test development and execution for humans and agents alike
Now you have a choice
From R&D to manufacturing, test automation teams around the world look to OpenTAP. Moreover, OEMs, ISVs, integrators, and test and measurement systems vendors contribute to the OpenTAP ecosystem.