Getting under the hood: an approach to creating modular, reconfigurable instrumentation systems

This paper discusses the implementation of an approach to user accessible signal processing functions within the instrument module itself. Topics covered are the evolution of instrumentation from traditional monolithic bench and rackmount to current modular designs, the forces driving these changes, and the current and future directions of instrumentation evolution. Electronic systems have been rapidly evolving, driven by advances in semiconductor technology that provide increased capability in a smaller package. Concurrently, instrumentation systems have benefited from this evolution. Stimulus and measurement functions that a few decades ago were implemented with analog circuitry and took up multiple racks of space can be implemented with digital processing functions.