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Reducing Test Development Time using Simulation Tools

22 February 2023 - Pickering Interfaces, a global supplier of modular signal switching and simulation solutions for use in electronic test and verification, announced the company’s hardware and software simulation tools. These tools enable test engineers to begin writing and verifying test program code today, freeing them from supply chain constraints. The software and hardware tools can simulate all Pickering PXI and LXI switching products and most of the company’s PXI simulation products, allowing for fast code development independent of application hardware.

With these simulation tools, test engineers can:

• Mitigate Supply Chain Risks: Applications can be designed and developed without the presence of physical hardware, allowing engineers to begin working on a test system immediately – while waiting for hardware to ship.
• Accelerate Development Time: Engineers can speed up the traditional waterfall development process and complete multiple development steps at once.
• Debug Code without Physical Hardware: Engineers can pre-qualify equipment and test software code early in the development process – switch routes that could once only be verified and later debugged when hardware was available can now be verified before the hardware has arrived. By simulating switching and simulation modules before using physical components, engineers also minimize the risk of damaging costly test system hardware during verification.

“We want to remove every barrier engineers face in getting their test systems up and running,” said Noman Hussain, VP of Software at Pickering Interfaces. “With the Pickering Simulation tools, engineers can start evaluating hardware or testing code immediately. They can use these tools to easily select the optimum Pickering products for their test application. Then, the moment hardware arrives, they’re ready to deploy their test system.”

The PXI Simulation Software is now part of the standard Pickering PXI driver installation, while the LXI Simulation Software is a standalone windows application that can emulate Pickering’s switching and simulation products in a virtual environment. Engineers can use both PXI and LXI software simulations to interact with their test programs.

The LXI Simulation tool (model 60-901) is a plug-and-play device, and engineers typically have it up and running within minutes. By simply connecting power and ethernet cords, downloading and installing free Pickering drivers and selecting the appropriate Pickering modules to test, engineers can run a simulation, and then easily re-program the tool to simulate different modules. These capabilities allow engineers to access thousands of modules within just a few clicks.

www.pickeringtest.com/