COTS VXI hardware combats obsolescence and reduces cost

Many programs are currently faced with the problem of having to support production of hardware beyond the life span of some of the equipment used to test it. This presents a multitude of problems in that it is undesirable to make any changes that would result in the need to modify existing application code that has been in the field and working for many years. The Tektronix decision to make its VXI hardware obsolete, for example, left many users who had standardized on their hardware looking for alternatives. However, obsolescence is not isolated to any particular company or instrumentation bus, and challenges are frequently presented in trying to find replacement hardware. This paper focuses on commercially available solutions for replacing obsolete hardware. This includes, but is not limited to, emulating firmware sets on functionally similar COTS products, vendor-developed translation driver sets, drop-in replacements and device drivers. Advantages of each are explained, with detailed explanations of each implementation.