CLACTON-ON-SEA, U.K. - Pickering Interfaces in Clacton-on-Sea, U.K., has introduced Test System Architect, a free online graphical toolset designed to simplify signal-path design for electronic test systems by enabling engineers to design, configure, and visualize complete test architectures before deployment.
Test System Architect is designed as a graphical design environment for signal switching and cabling systems. The platform integrates several design utilities, including system configuration, schematic design, product selection, and migration tools, along with previously released cable design and microwave switch design tools.
The software enables engineers to create detailed schematics, automate cable designs, and configure complex test architectures. Users can select appropriate PXI, PXI Express hybrid, and LXI or USB chassis, identify switching, simulation, and instrumentation modules, and incorporate third-party instruments and modeled devices under test (DUTs). The tool also allows engineers to visually configure and interconnect system components and automatically generate cable designs.
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Built on an integrated database architecture, the platform includes validation and connectivity checks intended to identify design errors early in the development cycle. Designs are stored in the cloud to support collaboration among engineering teams, systems integrators, and Pickering engineers through an integrated project manager.
Automatic generation
Version control and revision history support project continuity and documentation integrity. The platform can automatically generate wiring schematics, pin-to-pin lists, datasheets, bills of materials, and visualization models to reduce documentation time and simplify maintenance and system replication.
The toolset also includes a migration utility intended to help engineers transition legacy test systems based on VXI and GPIB architectures to functionally equivalent PXI-based designs.
"Pickering is already recognized as the value leader in PXI. But hardware typically represents less than half of the total cost of an automated test system," says Kyle Voosen, product marketing manager at Pickering. "The greater challenge for our customers lies in the engineering, integration, and assembly effort required to deliver those systems into production. Test System Architect directly addresses this challenge by making the signal path explicit and architecturally visible earlier in the design process, resulting in faster system development, fewer integration errors, and a more predictable deployment schedule."
Pickering Interfaces has provided modular switching systems and signal-routing technologies for electronic test and verification applications for more than 30 years. The company says Test System Architect is available immediately as a free online resource for test engineers and is available at https://www.pickeringtest.com/test-system-architect.
