The role of a signal interface in supporting instrument interchangeability

This paper investigates the principles of instrument interchangeability in Automatic Test Systems by identifying the effects of instrument replacement and by analyzing the existing solutions for interchangeability problems. The "robust" instrument interchangeability provided by the IVI-MSS approach is presented in detail. The solution proposed in the paper consists of the standardization of a Signal Interface as semantic contents for IVI-MSS interfaces. Besides the inherent advantages of the IVI-MSS architecture, this approach provides portability of components among different testing environments. The functional requirements, integration issues and associated business model for the proposed solution are analyzed.