When investing in the development of automated test equipment (ATE), you want to be sure you are not creating a system that is difficult to modify as changes to your test requirements or devices under test (DUTs) occur. Thus, it is wise to develop a system using a common core approach that is flexible, easy to reconfigure, and can interface to multiple types of DUTs.
When it comes to high-channel-count systems, configuration management needs to be approached at a high level across the whole architecture of the system. The need for a user-friendly and organized configuration management interface is just as important as developing the software to run the tests and view results.
When an obsolescence issue occurs, typically the first thought is that the entire system may need to be replaced. Since a system replacement is time consuming and costly, and there is always a need to minimize downtime, quick Band-Aid-type fixes are usually performed just to get the system running again. These fixes typically do not address the underlying problems, and multiple occurrences of downtime will begin to add up. Despite common concerns that the entire system may be too old to continue, there are cheaper options than a full redesign.
Often, the act of performing a measurement on a signal can alter the signal. For example, your measurement instrument could cause extra current to flow between the device under test (DUT) and measurement tool, resulting in a signal that is slightly different than the original output.
