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A rapidly evolving T&M environment provides opportunities for suppliers to become partners, as Dave Martin – director of


business development – Foremost Electronics, explains


W


hile test and measurement (T&M) processes are invisible to the end user, they are critical for validating a product’s


functionality before it reaches the marketplace. As electronic equipment and systems become more complex there is a growing need for precise testing at every stage of development. In recent years, the market for specialised T&M equipment has expanded in response to increasing system complexity and a shifting regulatory environment. Since their introduction, PCI eXtensions for


Instrumentation (PXI), and more recently, PXI Express (PXIe) have become the test platforms of choice across industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, process control, and industrial automation. By its nature, PXIe is designed to support as many applications as possible with off-the-shelf components. However, T&M isn’t a one-size-fits-all industry, and as electronics become more specialised, it’s harder for companies with very specific design requirements to leverage its benefits. Over the last few years, factors like shifting demand, geopolitical conflicts and extreme weather, have negatively impacted the electronics industry manufacturing supply chain. Some industries are still experiencing material supply disruptions and product slowdowns as a result. With customised modular PXI and PXIe components, engineers benefit from standardisation while maintaining flexibility in their designs. These components make it easier to repurpose test systems with little added time or cost when faced with larger market forces, like supply chain shortages.


DESIGNING FOR FLEXIBILITY WITH PXI AND PXIE PXIe, an implementation of Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) on PXI platforms, was defined by the PXI System Alliance, an association of 60+ members, including National Instruments, Keysight Technologies, Marvin Test Solutions, Inc., Pickering, ADLINK, and nVent SCHROFF. These members manufacture or distribute products based on PXI technology, and so have access to standard, modular software and hardware components that are familiar to a wide variety of users. Companies can design complex, integrated systems easily with many building blocks to choose from. Open standards technology offers inherent flexibility. In other words, there are many different ways to fulfil needs and specifications.


Feature


ENCLOSURES


FEATURE


MITIGATING SUPPLY CHAIN RISK WITH MODULAR TEST SYSTEMS


LEVERAGING MODULARITY TO ENHANCE THE BENEFITS OF OPEN STANDARDS TECHNOLOGY Engineers can leverage modularity in custom designs with building blocks for the PXIe chassis. For example, nVent SCHROFF offers functional modules and other mechanical components which are already verified and on hand to meet a wide range of technical parameters such as low speed, high bandwidth and high power. For example, a backplane with PXIe standard


components can be further customised with flexible modules including switches, bridges, and clock modules. With these building blocks, engineers don’t need to change the whole system in the face of supply chain issues. All they have to do is swap building blocks, which promotes mobility and overcomes single sourcing. If companies create their own designs from


scratch, they can be locked into the components or vendors they started with. With a design based on modularity, engineers can easily adjust a design while maintaining its integrity. By avoiding a long redesign cycle, customers receive their equipment with little to no delay. Every vendor addresses modularity and


sourcing decisions differently. nVent SCHROFF’s chassis are designed with a diversified set of components to avoid single sourcing and each building block is designed for flexibility. As an example, they have engineered their chassis to accommodate standard power supplies. PXIe supports many different voltages, and it is unlikely to be able to find a commercially available power supply that can fulfil them all. Instead of using a dedicated power supply with all the required output voltages. nVent has opted for a single 12-volt output, which is available from many different vendors. To accommodate the standard power supply, nVent SCHROFF’s chassis are built with a specially designed power distribution board to provide any additional voltages as required. nVent SCHROFF has also implemented flexible


switching designs. Currently, their chassis are based on a PXI Gen 3 switch design. Like many companies, they have dealt with a great number of shortages over the last few years. While Gen 3 switches were unavailable nVent SCHROFF to communicated with customers in a timely manner to understand their design constraints and implement a shift to Gen 2 switches, which most of the market can accommodate. They have also used PCIe switch ball grid arrays (BGAs) from different vendors to design switch modules, providing them with an alternative solution if


faced with procurement or allocation challenges. When assessing a vendor, it is essential to


understand how much production happens in-house. For example, nVent SCHROFF’s printed circuit boards (PCBs) are designed, assembled, tested, and integrated in-house, so there’s no third-party involvement for integration or assembly. This translates to shorter lead-times and less reliance on third-party suppliers. With the engineering department located directly above the production floor, they are always on- hand to support custom projects with no delay. A rapidly evolving T&M environment


provides opportunities for suppliers to become partners. With open standards there’s always a second source to draw from and valid design trade-offs to pursue. “nVent SCHROFF has the know-how to


mitigate issues and lessen the cost of failures and shortages for customers because they have great expertise in modularity. They know what building blocks and customisations work best because they have a complete overview of the market and supply chain. Leveraging this expertise helps customers limit rescoping and eliminate total redesigns in the face of supply chain shortages,” comments Dave Martin – director of business development at Foremost Electronics Foremost Electronics is the UK Platinum level partner for nVent Schroff and can supply its complete range of standard and customisable enclosures and advanced cooling systems.


Foremost Electronics sales@4most.co.uk


T: 01371 811171 www.4most.co.uk DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 45


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