The price of freedom
Richard A. Quinnell, Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 9/1/2006
PXI provides test engineers with a tremendous asset—the freedom of flexibility in test design. By combining a handful of modules in different ways, engineers can create the equivalent of an entire storeroom of benchtop instruments. There is a price to freedom, however. It must be carefully managed.
Freedom without any restrictions is chaos, so restrictions have their value. Some of the most valuable design restrictions are called standards. The standards governing PXI ensure that modules will work together in the same chassis. Yet, this can still lead to chaos when design teams work in a vacuum and re-invent solutions or develop incompatible approaches.
Managing the freedom that PXI provides, then, becomes an exercise in finding the right restrictions, such as design rules. With the proper design rules channeling the test-development effort, teams can maximize the opportunities for later re-use of their work. It is not easy to develop appropriate rules—too many restrictions can turn development into a chore and be counterproductive—but the payback in terms of saved time can be significant. The use of a mass-interconnect system, covered in this issue, is one example of a restriction that provides benefits while maintaining significant design freedom.
Freedom is necessary for innovation. Wisely managing that freedom is the way to achieve the greatest benefit.
Contact Richard A. Quinnell at richquinnell@att.net
