Synthetic instrumentation: A deterministic approach using real-time processing and reconfigurable hardware

By designing a synthetic instrument with a real-time processor and reconfigurable hardware, deterministic stimuli and measurements can be performed. These realtime signals provide for advanced testing capabilities, which will be demonstrated by two examples in this paper. One example demonstrates the ability to simulate actuators and physical loads in control system applications (hardware in-the-loop testing). Another example shows how time-critical signal interfaces between a complex system of line replaceable units (LRU's) can be simulated, to allow for the testing of an individual LRU by simulating the rest of the system. Both of these examples eliminate the need for expensive mock-ups of these systems which are otherwise needed for testing. Whereas field programmable gate arrays (FPGA's) and real-time operating systems in the past have significantly increased the complexity and cost of an automatic test system (ATS), high-level commercial off the shelf (COTS) solutions are now becoming readily available to assist the test engineer. This paper proposes a deterministic synthetic instrumentation approach based on currently available COTS solutions and then provides real world examples demonstrating its capabilities and cost savings.