Abstract :
The expanding number of test system architectural choices has caused confusion in the test engineering community. In this article, we explore the strengths and weaknesses of the existing test system architectures, including rack and stack systems with general-purpose interface bus (GPIB) instruments and modular systems. We provide a glimpse into an emerging new architecture: LAN-based test systems. The article reviews key concerns such as costs, channel counts, footprints, I/O speeds, ease-of-integration, and flexibility. The objective of the article is to provide engineers insight into the most effective test systems for their future applications.
Keywords :
automatic test equipment; local area networks; peripheral interfaces; GPIB rack-and-stack architecture; LAN-based test systems; automatic test equipment; general-purpose interface bus instruments; local area networks; modular systems; peripheral interfaces; test systems architectures; Aerospace testing; Application software; Computer architecture; Control systems; Costs; Data acquisition; Design engineering; Instruments; Operating systems; System testing;
