A new direction for test software [RF/microwave test equipment]

Manufacturing test solutions face many challenges in today´s complex production environments. Test systems must enable an organization to control the cost of test by reducing test development time. And they must provide engineers and managers with greater flexibility. Efforts to create such test platforms have typically struggled to maintain the flexibility and performance required in a changing environment. This paper describes the implementation of a test platform used for testing RF and microwave components at multiple facilities within Agilent Technologies, Inc. The system was deployed in mid-2000 and has been in continuous operation since then. The system has enabled test development costs to be reduced by more than 50%. It also has a shown an ability to adapt to a wider range of environments.