Instrument Command Interface for Automated Test Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of test and measurement instruments face difficulties in programming and maintaining test programs due to the proliferation of instrument command sets, which requires learning multiple vocabularies and understanding complex interactions between commands, making it hard to automate measurements and upgrade systems.
Innovation Solution
A system with a user interface that displays connected instruments and provides an instrument description file, allowing users to select instruments and view the commands they respond to, enabling operation without prior knowledge of specific commands and their characteristics, using a processor to execute algorithms for displaying and managing instrument interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standardized interfaces and protocols like SCPI are adopted, then instrument interchangeability and ease of operation are improved, but the complexity of programming and command interaction remains high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a computer as an intermediary between the user and the instrument. The computer receives high-level test programs from the user, translates them into instrument-specific commands, and executes them. This mediator handles the complexity of command translation and instrument interaction, allowing users to operate instruments through simplified programming interfaces without needing to understand the underlying command sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual programming of instrument commands with automated command generation. Instead of users directly programming low-level instrument commands, the system automatically generates and sends the appropriate commands to the instrument based on high-level test program specifications, substituting the mechanical act of manual programming with automated software processing.
2Productivity
If users program instruments directly using low-level commands, then measurement automation is achieved, but the time required to learn and maintain programming increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary translation of test programs into instrument commands before execution. The computer预先 translates high-level test program statements into the specific command sets required by each instrument, so that when the program runs, the instrument receives ready-to-execute commands. This preliminary action eliminates the need for users to learn and master multiple command sets, reducing training time while maintaining automation capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple instrument command sets are supported, then versatility is improved, but the difficulty of maintaining test programs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal programming environment where a single test program can control multiple types of instruments from different manufacturers. The computer-based system provides a unified interface that adapts to different instrument types, allowing one set of high-level test program statements to work across various instruments. This universal approach eliminates the need to maintain separate programming knowledge for each instrument type, simplifying program maintenance while preserving versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method: provide a user interface to a user, the user interface including one or more objects representing a corresponding one or more instruments that are connected to the system; receive from a user a selection of one of the one or more instruments, made via the user interface; obtaining at the computer a file that describes commands to which the selected instrument responds; and present to the user via the user interface an indication of the commands to which the selected instrument responds.