Rack-based configurations lower cost of automated test

29th May 2017

Mick Elliott

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ATE Core Configurations which deliver core mechanical, power and safety infrastructure to help users accelerate the design and build of automated test systems have been introduced by NI. They target industries ranging from semiconductor and consumer electronics to aerospace and automotive.

ATE Core Configurations help simplify the design, procurement, assembly, and deployment of smarter test systems at a lower cost and shorter time to market by giving test organisations a platform for standardisation.

These 19-in., rack-based configurations are available in various rack-unit heights, and offer scalable power profiles to match the needs of nearly any application and geography.

Test organisations can benefit from highly integrated safety features such as thermal shutoff, emergency power off (EPO), optional uninterruptible power supplies and IEC 61010 certification.

The configurations are customisable enabling users to choose what is included in the system, and where within the rack, including PXI instrumentation, signal conditioning, kW power supplies, cooling and more.

They offer streamlined procurement, simplifying bill of materials management with consolidated part numbers and fewer vendor transactions.

"Building a test system is a difficult job – one that even the best organisations spend many months accomplishing purely because of the number of components, suppliers and interoperability challenges present,” observed Luke Schreier, director of automated test product marketing at NI. “The new ATE Core Configurations can help users dramatically simplify the purchasing process for a common set of requirements and reduce the time and cost of building a system. And when you ultimately want a turn-key system, they form a great bridge to the integration expertise of our Alliance Partner Network.” ATE Core Configurations also benefit from NI’s high-performance PXI instrumentation and extensive test software portfolio.

This includes more than 600 PXI instruments ranging from DC to mmWave featuring high-throughput data movement using PCI Express Gen 3 bus interfaces and sub-nanosecond synchronisation with integrated timing and triggering.

ATE Core Configurations can also include TestStand test management software and LabVIEW code module development software, extensive API and example program support for PXI instruments, and more than 13,000 instrument drivers for third-party box instruments.