VISTA: virtual instrument standard test architecture

Diagrammatic programming environments provide a unique challenge for the developers of test software. These cost effective environments facilitate access to technologies such as VXI, provide speedy development of highly effective user interfaces, and eliminate many of the tasks often associated with hardware integration in complex test systems. Nonetheless, difficulties can arise when designing functional and diagnostic test software in this environment. This paper introduces VISTA, a promising new architecture which allows users to elude most of the difficulties of building detailed functional and diagnostic TPSs, while taking full advantage of the benefits of diagrammatic programming environments. Here we examine an implementation of the VISTA architecture, the integration of advanced diagnostics, and the use of diagrammatic programming as a test language cross compiler.<>