ENCLOSURES
Mitigating Supply Chain Risk with Modular Test Systems
A rapidly evolving T&M environment provides opportunities for suppliers to become partners, says Dave Martin - director of business development – Foremost Electronics
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.
T&M is not a one-size-fits-all industry, and as electronics become more specialised, it is 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.
38
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 offer 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
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
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
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54
