New-Tech Europe | April 2016 | Digital edition

The Changing Face of Test

anging Face of Test

Jerry Janesch , Keithley Instruments, Inc. Jerry Janesc , it ley Instruments, Inc.

any aspects of the test and measurement business are t and measurement b s are M any aspects of t different from the way they were relatively few years ago. Perhaps the most obvious example is the people who are using test and measurement instrumentation. A recent industry study shows that 20 percent of electrical engineers now in the global workforce started their careers within the last decade. There have also been other significant changes in the industry; for example, manufacturing companies once typically had large staffs of dedicated test engineers; today, these companies are often outsourcing test system development and have drastically cut the size of their test engineering departments. Shrinking in-house staffs and shortened test design schedules mean that engineers have far less time available to focus on becoming instrumentation experts. ificant changes in the in ; for example, manufacturing anies once typically had larg fs of dedicated test engine rs; t , these companies are often rcing test system dev lopment have drastically cut he size f ir test engineering departments. rinking in-house staffs and shor test design schedules mean th in ers have far less time availa l focus on becoming instrumentati erts. different from the way relatively few years ago. most bvious example is who are using test and instrumentation. A rece study shows that 20 electrical engi eers now i workf ce started their car the last decade. There have also be n oth ere s the eople ent ustry t of lobal ithin M

employ LED and LCD digital readouts (Figure 2). Function and range setting knobs were increasingly replaced with push-button controls. Engineers no longer needed a clipboard or notebook to record data when early communications interfaces like RS-232 and GPIB were added to instruments to support system integration and triggering, remote programming and control, as well as transfer of data to an external PC for analysis and display. By the 1990s, users had begun to demand increasingly detailed information on their measurements, which eventually led instrument makers to begin developing brighter, easier-to-read, vacuum fluorescent displays that could display multiple measurements simultaneously from a single measurement connection. To allow users to configure the display settings and performance options,

employ LED and LCD digital (Figure 2). Function a d ran knobs were incre singly with push-button cont ols. no longer needed a clip n teb ok to record data w ommunic tions interfaces li and GPIB were added to ins to support sys em i tegra triggering, re ote program control, as well as tr nsfer o n exte nal PC for ana display. By the 1990s, users ha to dem nd incre singly i f rmation on their meas which ev ntually l d in makers to begin developing easier-to-read, vacuum fl displays that could display measureme ts imultaneou a single measur me t conn allow users to configure th settings and performance

A Look Back Test instrument design is undergoing some striking changes as instrument user expectations have evolved right along with the users themselves. For perspective on how instruments and users interactions have changed, it may be useful to look back at how instrument interface designs have evolved over the last six decades. In the 1950s, interacting with instruments was often a laborious process. Configuring a measurement typically required twisting dials to select the desired functions and set ranges. “Taking data” often involved transcribing readings from an analog dial manually or measuring traces from a printout from a strip chart recorder with a ruler. When digital instrumentation began to replace analog designs, the new user interface designs began to A Look Back Test instrument de ig is u dergoi g some striking changes as ins rument us r xpectations have evolved right along with th us rs th mselves. F r perspective n how instruments and u ers interactions have changed, it may be sefu to loo back at h w instrument int rface designs have e olved ov r the last six decades. In the 1950s, interacting with instruments was often a laborious process. Confi uring a measurement typically required twisting dials to select th desired function and set ranges. “Taking da a” often involved transcribing readings from an analog dial m nually or measuring traces from a printout from a st ip chart reco der with a ruler. When dig tal instrume tatio began to replace analog designs, the new user interfac designs began o

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