Product category:
ATE Systems
News Release from: Agilent Technologies Europe | Subject: Virtual Rack Platform
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 19 September 2007
Test system eases custom configuration
Platform provides basis for custom military and aerospace test equipment using drag-and-drop system creation and modification.
The latest release of the Agilent Virtual Rack Platform provides an interactive way for aerospace and defence companies to create flexible system frameworks with radically less effort in the integration, automation, maintenance and evolution of test systems "As system requirements become more complex, previous-generation tools may leave users stuck inside a maze of complexity", says Lim Chee Beng, General Manager of Agilent's Measurement Software Operation
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 17 Jun 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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"By breaking through that complexity, the Virtual Rack Platform makes it easier for military services, defence contractors and aerospace companies to achieve greater test-system longevity and focus their efforts on their domain expertise".
Today, test-system creation and revision are made more difficult by typical star-shaped architectures in which every system connection and protocol conversion must be uniquely programmed.
As a result, a change in one system element requires changes in every other connected element.
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The Virtual Rack Platform decouples all system elements within a matrix-based architecture, replacing programming for system integration with configuring components and services.
As a result, integration is independent of specific interfaces or programming languages.
Through the matrix, a system developer simply defines the endpoints, and the platform uses sources-and-sinks interactions to handle all required integration and automation.
A key to this approach is the intuitive Agilent Virtual Rack "storeroom" concept: thousands of hardware, software and firmware from numerous vendors - not just Agilent - are included.
All of these elements are accessible through an efficient, web-like interface that enables drag-and-drop system creation and modification.
Developers can build new systems or modify existing ones with a Virtual Rack Platform.
Virtual Rack frameworks expand these platform capabilities by adding flexible Virtual Rack Modules.
Applications are then built atop frameworks to address specific testing needs.
The Agilent Virtual Rack family comprises three key products.
Virtual Rack Platform 7.8 features a single node-locked computer licence to operate hardware, software, firmware and services components mounted and configured by Virtual Rack Integrator.
Virtual Rack Integrator 7.8 enables the user to connect, operate, automate and extend hardware, software, firmware and services within a test system.
And the Virtual Rack Modules enable creation of flexible Virtual Rack frameworks from Virtual Rack Platforms.
Currently available Virtual Rack Modules enable networking, telemetry, mnemonics, MIL-STD-1553, FPGA, GPS synchronisation and solar-array simulation.
The Agilent Virtual Rack Platform is available now, with prices starting at US $8000.
Volume discounts are available for multiple-seat installations.
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