Modular instrumentation

MODULAR
INSTRUMENTATION

Submitted by
SHAIK FAHMEEN TAZ
(132U1A04A4)
ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

GEETHANJALI
INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
NELLORE

Modular instrumentation

ABSTRACT:
INTRODUCTION:
The trends of increasing device
complexity and technology
convergence are driving test
systems to be more flexible.
Test systems must
accommodate device changes
over time, even though cost
pressures are demanding
longer system lifetimes. The
only way to accomplish these
objectives is through a
software-defined, modular
architecture.
The software-defined concept
through virtual instrumentation
, provides options for the today
and in the future. Hardware
platform and software
implementations. Modular
instrumentation uses shared
components, high-speed
buses, and open, user-defined
software to meet the needs of
automated test equipment
(ATE).
TYPES:
Fundamentally, there are two
types of instrumentation
today,
virtual and traditional

The diagrams show the

similarities in these two
approaches. Both have
measurement hardware, a
chassis, a power supply, a bus,
a processor, an OS, and a user
interface. Because the
approaches use the same
basic components, the most
obvious difference from a
purely hardware standpoint is
how the components are
packaged. A traditional, or
stand-alone, instrument puts
all of the components in the
same box for every discrete
instrument. An example of a
stand-alone instrument is a
manual instrument controlled
with GPIB, USB, or
LAN/Ethernet.
These instruments are
designed as discrete entities
and not designed primarily for
system use. While there are a
large number of traditional
instruments, the software

Modular instrumentation

processing and user interface

are fixed in the instrument
itself and can be updated only
when and how the vendor
chooses (for example, through
a firmware update). Thus, it is
impossible for the user to
perform measurements not
included in the function list of
a traditional instrument, and it
makes it challenging to
perform measurements for
new standards or to modify the
system if needs change.
By contrast, a software-defined
virtual instrument makes the
raw data from the hardware
available to users to define
their own measurements and
user interface. With this
software-defined approach,
users can make custom
measurements, perform
measurements for emerging
standards, or modify the
system if requirements change
(for example, to add
instruments, channels, or
measurements.) While userdefined software can be
applied to stand-alone,
application-specific hardware,
it is ideally paired with generalpurpose, modular hardware
where the full flexibility and
performance of the
measurement software can be
exploited.

This combination of flexible,

user-defined software and
scalable hardware components
is the core of modular
instrumentation.
MODULAR HARDWARE:
Modular instrumentation can
take several forms. In a welldesigned modular
instrumentation system, many
of the components such as the
chassis and power supply are
shared across instrument
modules instead of duplicating
these components for every
instrument function. These
instrument modules can also
include different types of
hardware, including
oscilloscopes, function
generators, digital, and RF. In
some cases, as shown in Figure
2, the measurement hardware
is simply a peripheral that is
generators, digital, and RF. In
some cases, as shown in Figure
2, the measurement hardware
is simply a peripheral that is
installed in one of the host
computer peripheral ports or
peripheral slots. In this case,
the host PC provides the
processor for performing the
measurements in software as
well as the chassis for the
power supply and I/O.
PC-Based: Modular
instrumentation includes

Modular instrumentation

peripherals installed in the

host computer peripheral ports
or peripheral slots. In these
systems, the host PC provides
the processor for performing
the measurements in software
as well as the chassis for the
power supply and I/O.

measurement hardware
through a cabled interface.
Because a PXI system uses the
same buses internal to a PC
PCI and PCI Express and offthe-shelf PC components to
control the system, the same
modular instrumentation
concepts apply equally using a
PXI system or a PC.
SOFTWARE:

Figure1: Example for PCI

PXI: PXI is a rugged platform

for test, measurement, and
control. The measurement
hardware is housed in an
industrial chassis and has a
host computer either
embedded in the chassis or
connected to a PC through a
cabled interface. Benefits
specific to PXI include
increased channel count,
portability, and integrated
timing and synchronization.

Figure2: Example for PXI

In a PXI system, the host

computer can be embedded in
the chassis or it can be a
separate laptop, desktop, or
server that controls the

System Services and Driver

Software: Driver I/O software
and hardware configuration
tools are critical to modular
instrumentation because it
connects software to hardware.
Instrument drivers are
optimized for specific
development environments so
instrument commands are
seamless. Additionally,
configuration tools include
resources for configuring and
testing I/O, as well as storing
scaling, calibration, and
channel-aliasing information.
Test Development
Software: Test development
software provides the tools to
develop the code or procedure
for your application. Although
graphical programming is not a
requirement of a modular
instrument system, these
systems often use graphical
tools for their ease of use and
rapid development. NI

Modular instrumentation

LabVIEW provides the

industrys most used and most
complete graphical
development environment.
Test Management
Software: Some applications
require software for test
execution or visibility into test
data. For highly automated
test systems, test
management software
provides a framework for
sequencing, branching/looping,
report generation, and
database integration. Other
applications use software to
help you manage, analyze, and
report data collected during
data acquisition and/or
generated during simulations.

BENIFITS:
Flexibility: Modular
instruments are defined in
software residing on the host
PC, which makes it possible for
you to define measurements
and analysis in real time. You
can further extend the
flexibility by deploying
algorithms to an FPGA for
increased performance. This
approach provides more
flexibility and functionality

than the fixed, vendor-defined

software architecture of
traditional box instruments.
Integration: All instruments
in a modular instrumentation
system share a power supply,
chassis, and controller, while
stand-alone instruments
duplicate these components
for each instrument, adding
cost and size and decreasing
reliability. Shared technologies,
such as GHz processors and
software, helps you achieve
measurements at 10 to 100
times the throughput of a test
system built solely on
traditional instruments.
Size: Because of the shared
PC, chassis, power supply, and
display across all instruments,
a modular instrumentation
system has a significantly
smaller footprint than box
instruments optimized for
stand-alone use on the bench.
This architecture makes it
possible for you to deploy up
to 17 instruments in the same
footprint as a single box
instrument.