Case study: modular ATE system design

Faced with ever-increasing constraints of budget reductions and fight schedules, test engineers are looking for faster, more cost-efficient ways to get automatic test equipment (ATE) systems up and running. This case study examines a process known as Freedom/sup TM/ Series, developed by Racal Instruments, illustrating how the principles of design reuse and automation, applied to ATE systems, can dramatically reduce non-recurring engineering costs and accelerate schedules. Freedom Series is a modular approach to ATE system design. It exploits design reuse by standardizing components such as test instruments, interface cables, software drivers, and documentation. In addition, Freedom Series provides software tools that automate many non-recurring engineering tasks. The combination of modularity, reuse, and automation accelerates the system integration process and, in many cases, virtually eliminates non-recurring engineering costs.