Synthetic Instrument (SI) ATML Instrument Description Implementation

1. Synthetic Instrument (SI) ATML Instrument Description Implementation Ron Taylor 17 Jan 2006

2. Overview • BAE Systems Synthetic Instrument (SI). • SI instance document creation. • Problems with implementation. • Questions and recommendations for the ATML Instrument Description • Conclusions

3. BAE Systems Synthetic Instrument • Synthetic Instrument Measurement and Stimulus System (SIMSS) • RF stimulus and measurement capabilities. • Measurement capability from DC-26.5GHz • Stimulus capability from DC-20GHz • Consists of several VXI instruments in one VXI chassis and signal conditioning hardware.

4. BAE Systems Synthetic Instrument • Synthetic Instrument Measurement and Stimulus System (SIMSS) (cont.) • Measurement Functions • Spectrum Analysis • Scalar Network Analysis • Power Measurements (both peak & average) • Digital Storage Oscilloscope • Stimulus Functions • Full I/Q Arbitrary Modulation DC-20GHz

5. SI Instance Document Creation • Created an instance document for the BAE Systems SI. • Utilized the Instrument Description schema version -06, Sept 9, 2005. • Used XML Spy 2004 V3. • Encountered problems when describing certain data items in schema. • Issues deal with the differences between SI and classical instruments. ATML Requirement: “Describe a synthetic (virtual or composite) instrument” (From the ATML Instrument Description Requirements Document)

6. Problems with Implementation • Issues are a result of different characteristics of SIs vs classical instruments. • HW -- A SI is typically composed of multiple instruments, the schema is targeted to one classical instrument. • SW -- A SI can have multiple SW drivers used in one application, unlike a classical instrument with one driver. • High-level signal drivers (i.e. ATLAS drivers) • Mid-level instrument class drivers (i.e. IVI Spectrum Analyzer Class driver) • Low-level instrument drivers (i.e. IVI FGEN Specific driver)

7. Problems with Implementation (cont.) • Instrument Description data items (shown in Figure 1) • The ? indicates the data item may not directly map to SI data. • The chart also indicates if the data items are required or optional.

8. Figure 1, ATML Instrument Description Data Items

9. Figure 1, ATML Instrument Description Data Items (cont.)

10. Questions and recommendations for the ATML Instrument Description • Interface – Does Interface describe the exterior interface of the SI or the interfaces of the instruments that make up the SI? • Driver Type, OS, Control Language, Bus – Should allow for the individual instruments in the SI to be identified with their corresponding instrument driver details. • In addition identify high level SI driver. • Consider a hierarchal instrument driver element. • Higher level driver components (ie IVI Spectrum Analyzer class driver at a high level). • Low level drivers (ie IVI Specific driver for FGEN instrument).

11. Questions and recommendations for the ATML Instrument Description (cont.) • Factory and Power on Defaults – Do defaults correspond to individual instruments in the SI or the entire SI? • Physical Description – Most elements may not be applicable for an SI with distributed hardware. (i.e. size, mass) • Consider an element to identify if SI is one physical entity or separate distributed components. • Consider an element which provides details of the instruments in the SI. • Instrument control bus type (i.e. VXI, GPIB). • Model number, SW version.

12. Conclusions • A requirement of ATML Instrument Description is to accommodate Synthetic Instruments. • It appears the current ATML Instrument Description schema has problem areas when representing some SI data. • Consider modifying ATML Instrument Description to better handle the SI. • Recommend considering SI issues in a later release. • Solicit SI Working Group input. • An alternative to changing the Instrument Description schema is to have SI described by the ATML Test Station schema and not ATML Instrument Description schema.