During a recent customer visit, I was asked about the differences between LXI and Ethernet-enabled instruments. Why LXI? Since LXI is a standard built on other standards, including 802.3 LAN, what do LXI instruments offer beyond simple LAN-enabled instruments?
I used a simple illustration to highlight several distinct differences. Back in 2004, before leading test and measurement companies joined together to create LXI, LAN-enabled instruments were becoming common as more vendors put LAN interfaces on their products. The problem, discovered during customer meetings with some leading integrators, was interoperability.
Integrators and test engineers described a Tower of Babel where each vendor did things a little bit differently. They spent tedious hours with instrument manuals and vendor support lines trying to get instruments to talk to one another. Many of these designs were well engineered, but a lack of standardization prevented easy interoperability.
The LXI Consortium was formed to change all that. From the beginning, LXI was designed around the needs of systems integrators and test engineers. The consortium strove to simplify the integrator’s life by making systems easier to configure, troubleshoot, and operate. We included inputs from systems integrators and test engineers into the specification, resulting in predictable operation and powerful tools to simplify setup, operation, and debugging. Independent of the vendor, addressing is the same, triggering is the same, default conditions are the same, and error notification and behavior are the same.
LXI went further, ensuring interoperability through rigorous testing, multivendor PlugFests, and multivendor cooperation. Borrowing techniques used by many computer-industry forums to provide a consistent user experience, LXI became the only test and measurement standard that requires testing by an independent agency to guarantee conformance to the specification and multivendor interoperability. No other test and measurement industry specification does this. Before an instrument can ship, it must pass minimum performance and interoperability requirements, and a driver must be posted for it. When you see the LXI logo, you know what you’re getting.
By reducing variables, LXI simplifies interface design for vendors and assures common behavior for users. Features such as instrument Web pages for identification and control, driver APIs, and uniform triggering streamline system discovery, setup, and operation. Time-aware features like timestamps and event logs give unprecedented visibility into system performance, making troubleshooting fast and easy. All LXI instruments behave the same way on the network, removing uncertainty for systems designers using instruments from multiple vendors.
The results from LXI’s focus on interoperability are dramatic and easy to see. The LXI sponsored Multi-Vendor Demo System (MVDS), chaired by The Mathworks and populated by National Instruments, Data Translation, and most vendors offering LXI instruments, integrates systems to demonstrate common applications. Progress has been stunning.
The latest MVDS PlugFest sessions were nonevents because everything worked quickly, easily, and with no user intervention. Simply plug the instruments into the network and let automatic discovery, addressing, and configuration tools take over. It’s as simple as configuring a printer to a PC.
We’ve come a long way since the first Ethernet-enabled instruments showed up. LXI’s focus on consistency, ease of use, and interoperability has made great contributions to the industry and confirms LXI will become the dominant test interface for systems integrators.
I’m proud of the progress made by the LXI Consortium to ensure systems go together quickly and easily, freeing integrators to work on more important tasks. LAN done right—that’s the difference between LAN-enabled and LXI.
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July 2008
The Strong Keep Getting Stronger
Users familiar with LXI know how easy it is to configure test systems thanks to tried-and-true Ethernet tools that simplify instrument discovery and setup. Test and measurement systems integrators finally are able to access powerful new capabilities through LXI.
LXI was founded on the principle that Ethernet can simplify and enhance system integration tasks. That mission is no different today than when the consortium was formed four years ago. We remain committed to developing an easy transition from existing systems architectures by supporting hybrid systems and seeking new ways to enhance the power of LXI.
Application examples from many integrators and member companies demonstrate how LXI has opened doors and simplified tasks that previously had been difficult or impossible. There is no doubt that LXI is changing the way systems are built.
But we continue to enhance LXI. Two exciting new capabilities under development are multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) and an over-the-wire protocol.
The LXI Consortium has adopted mDNS, a technique that
automagically assigns IP addresses to configure a network without requiring any active user action or special servers. This allows users with little or no networking expertise to connect instruments, computers, and networked peripherals together and expect them to work automatically—just like in the office environment.
As an alternative to the familiar VXI-11, mDNS automatically performs DHCP and DNS functions in the absence of a conventional DNS server, assigning network addresses, identifying computer and network elements by name, and identifying where to get services. The result is faster, simpler discovery and setup. Of course, the VXI-11 protocol remains intact for users who do not want to use mDNS or have legacy instruments in a hybrid system.
In addition to adding mDNS, the LXI Consortium recently kicked off an over-the-wire protocol effort to simplify instrument-to-instrument and instrument-to-controller communications. The goal is to make it easier for network elements to talk to one another without requiring specialized drivers, eliminating today’s
driver hell where different drivers must be developed for every software environment.
For high-performance and speed-sensitive applications, the over-the-wire protocol simplifies peer-to-peer communications, making it easier to bypass controller-to-instrument communications bottlenecks with instrument subsystems. We don’t expect every system will need this capability. But it offers new tools for time-sensitive applications such as scan list execution, emergency shutdown sequences, alarm checking, or other scenarios where instruments must work together and controller prioritization latencies might slow execution times. We also have seen applications where one instrument controls another to automatically perform periodic
in situ calibration tasks.
The LXI specification continues to get stronger and simpler to use. Integrators report improvements in system performance and the ability to do things that were virtually impossible just a few years ago. LXI clearly is delivering on its promise.
As we expand and enhance the LXI specification and LXI application knowledge, we encourage participation from integrators and instrument vendors. If you would like to participate or you would like to know more about LXI, application examples, or upcoming meetings, please visit us at
www.lxistandard.org .
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April 2008
It’s the Network
With apologies to a familiar cell phone company, LXI really is about the network—about the familiar Ethernet network foundation and the network of organizations committed to helping one another build better systems and instruments. I was reminded of this during the recent PlugFest hosted in Irvine, CA, by VXI Technology. The general meeting and PlugFest were alive with energy. Speed, simplicity, and the power of LXI were major themes during the meeting, and it became clear to me that LXI really is the standard for Ethernet in test and measurement.
The first day started with five vendors testing IEEE 1588 v2 implementations. Several companies, including Hirschmann, Ixxatt, National Semiconductor, and Freescale, joined the IEEE 1588 v2 PlugFest session, demonstrating designs, testing interoperability, and helping to lower the bar for instrument vendors and integrators.
In parallel, The MathWorks hosted an interoperability session to demonstrate how easily LXI test systems go together. That presentation proved once again why we believe LXI is the future of test—it works. The instrument discovery setup protocols worked perfectly, allowing the system to come together with remarkable ease.
Day two was devoted to technical discussions on resource management, instrument states, scripting, web triggering, and event logs. These are all important topics for system speed and large multiclient systems.
Keithley hosted a very compelling discussion on scripts, showing how system performance can be significantly speeded up by preloading downloadable code into the instrument. With scripts, LAN and controller traffic are reduced to a simple trigger command, freeing IO capacity and unburdening the controller for more important tasks. Keithley’s benchmarks showed a 4x improvement in system throughput. While these techniques have been around for many years, they are particularly well suited for networked systems where multicast peer-to-peer communications and multiple triggers are available. The benefit for designers is improved system speed with less latency or controller traffic.
Similarly, the state management discussion led by VXI Technology and Aeroflex explored how systems integrators can recall instrument states with one command, eliminating time-consuming SCPI strings. To prevent unnecessary state rebuilds, they proposed a fingerprint or hash that allows an integrator or client to identify whether the instrument state had changed since it was last used. Again, the benefit for systems designers is improved system speed with less latency or controller traffic.
The third day was devoted to applications presentations where members and integrators discussed real test systems built on LXI platforms and how LXI solved common test problems. Joe Engler of Intepro ATE Systems described high channel count, high-volume systems. He explained how integration ease was a key determinant for systems integrators competing in today’s market and how LXI delivered for him. We were shown how Class B improved system speed, how timestamps and event logs simplified system troubleshooting with unprecedented visibility into system timing, and how peer-to-peer triggering simplified test-program development. We even saw how a system integrator achieved negative latency, completely eliminating over-the-wire transit times and using time triggers to overlap instrument settling and analysis times.
LXI PlugFests offer unique opportunities for integrators and instrument vendors alike. They are friendly events where companies help one another build better test systems and instruments, recognizing no single vendor can cover everything and that the value of the network improves as it grows.
Our next PlugFest and general meeting will be held May 20-22. The details are on the LXI website at www.lxistandard.org. Come join us.
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February 2008
Do You Believe in Magic?
The recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas unveiled by far the biggest display of electronic gadgets imaginable. Enormous video screens, booming stereos, flashy computers, and powerful cell phones emerge from every corner. The scale and variety are unbelievable.
But behind all the flash and glitz are some serious engineering and test challenges. Huge volumes, rising complexity, and brutal cost pressures put particular emphasis on test.
Many engineers designing these consumer products also develop the underlying technologies that fuel LXI. By tapping into the enormous consumer electronics industry, LXI is the beneficiary of thousands of engineers working to make Ethernet faster and more powerful. I have heard there are more engineers working on Ethernet today than in the entire test and measurement industry. That's a lot of leverage.
Today, 1-Gb Ethernet is standard, a tenfold increase in speed from 100-Mb Fast Ethernet just three years ago when we started LXI. And some vendors are working on 10-Gb and 40-Gb PHY chips today.
Several semiconductor manufacturers now supply IEEE 1588 silicon; they are aiming at the larger entertainment and telecom industries, but the new silicon significantly lowers barriers to adoption for timing-enabled test systems. None of this would have occurred without the economic muscle of the consumer electronics industry. By using standard Ethernet, LXI taps into capabilities that never would have been developed for the test and measurement industry.
We are beginning to see engineers tackle tough test problems with LXI capabilities never before available. For example, some new products with IEEE 1588 allow test engineers to tie multiple instruments to a common time base, expanding the number of available channels. There are test systems where synchronized instruments are used in solar array time sequences and others where peer-to-peer communications coupled with time synchronization simplify shutdown sequences.
Other test engineers are working on cross-domain measurements that combine digital and analog instruments to test cellular telephones. Engineers testing jet engines use timestamped event logs to give them unprecedented visibility into system troubleshooting and diagnosis. In a common stimulus-response application, time triggers and peer-to-peer communications reduced communication latency below zero by overlapping instrument settling times.
2007 was an important year for LXI. More than 430 products now are certified as LXI compliant from a growing list of vendors, and we have great support from software vendors National Instruments, The Mathworks, and Data Translation. In addition to consortium-sponsored PlugFests at several venues throughout the world, test facilities in the United States and Germany have been authorized to help vendors certify products, and Release 1.2 was approved in October.
A full slate of new activities is lined up for 2008. Attend our next LXI general meeting and PlugFest Feb. 11-13. Discuss test challenges with the engineers behind the LXI specification, learn how LXI can improve your test system cost and performance, and help us define the future of test.
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September 2007
LXI Continues to Grow Internationally
I write this LXI ConneXion column from 39,000 feet somewhere over the Pacific, row 34, seat H. I normally try to sleep during these flights, but today I want to share some of the excitement generated at our first LXI meeting in China
We had a great meeting in Beijing, where we received a very warm welcome from a large, enthusiastic crowd of integrators and product developers. At last count, 187 Chinese engineers and managers spent three days with us in Beijing, making this the best attended LXI event yet.
The meeting rooms overflowed into the hallways, and we heard a lot of excellent questions from a well-informed audience. The agenda featured two tracks, one directed at integrators and one for developers, and the response was stunning.
In the applications track, participants listened enthusiastically as systems integrators described real applications and benefits achieved using LXI test equipment in deployed systems. In the developer's track, members of the LXI Technical Committee gave detailed, behind-the-scenes perspectives on the LXI specification to engineers interested in building LXI products.
I was most impressed by the broad recognition from Chinese engineers and managers that Ethernet plays a major role in the future of test and measurement. I was pleased to see the excitement over new capabilities of Ethernet-enabled instruments and the quality of questions that came from engineers already working on LXI instruments and systems.
It was clear from the discussions, both in the meetings and in the hallways, that many companies not only support LXI, but also they are developing products and systems using the LXI standard. It's exciting to see such broad support from China, an increasingly important center for design and manufacturing.
We saw hybrid systems where LXI works in parallel with legacy GPIB, VXI, and PXI systems. We also saw applications using Ethernet features such as multicast messaging and scripts that bypass and simplify controller-
to-instrument traffic and automatic discovery and addressing. For more about the China meeting, check out the attendee podcasts on the LXI website.
The consortium's next European meeting will be hosted by Rohde & Schwarz in October in Munich. For details, visit the LXI website,
http://www.lxistandard.org.
Many of you will be heading to AUTOTESTCON 2007 in Baltimore. If you are attending, stop by the LXI Consortium booth to see us. The LXI Test System working group is preparing some great demos showing how easy it is to configure LXI systems and some advanced LXI capabilities. We also encourage you to visit the LXI member booths to get a better look at some great new products.
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April 2007
LXI Applications: Making a Difference
I was talking with some engineers the
other day about LXI applications. It seems that hardly a day goes by
without hearing about another application using LXI where designers
apply the power of Ethernet when building new test systems. Seeing
and hearing about these new test systems reinforce that LXI is real,
it's available, and it's making a difference.
We have long talked about the profound changes Ethernet made to our
work and personal lives. Remember when file sharing meant the
sneaker net and floppy disks? How about printing by connecting
parallel cables directly to the computer? Today, I can transfer a
file or have a printed document on a colleague's desk in Europe or
Asia nearly instantaneously.
Last week, I was helping my son with his school project and thinking
about the long hours at the library similar projects required in the
past. The reality is that Ethernet has changed our work lives
immeasurably.
I see the same thing happening with test systems. Many of the
applications are simply the replacement of GPIB with LAN cables. It
is easy and straightforward.
Regular readers of LXI ConneXion will recognize the airframe static
test system described by VXI Technology. In that application, LXI
helped coordinate tens of thousands of strain gage inputs.
In the last issue, Elgar described a satellite thermo-vac test
system that muxed hundreds of power supplies. Instrument control was
simple and straightforward using LXI. In another application, the
integrator used LXI Web pages to monitor serial numbers and firmware
revisions for compliance reporting.
We have seen applications extend distances well beyond what was
practical just a few years ago. For example, LXI is found in test
ranges that span great distances. And several applications use LXI
as the backbone for cable TV monitoring systems scattered across the
country where a single engineer monitors network performance from a
remote location.
We have only scratched the surface. I am personally aware of
applications under development that use peer-to-peer and multicast
communications between instruments, independent of a central
controller. Combined with scripts and IEEE 1588 timing, these LXI
features bring powerful new tools to system integrators and
designers. For example, timestamps can simplify system development,
troubleshooting, and upgrades.
The list of LXI applications continues to grow. If you have an
application to share or you would like to consult with some LXI
experts, I would like to hear from you. Contact me at
bob_rennard@agilent.com.
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January 2007
It's All About Economics
Ethernet has been around forever, yet it
continues to remake itself with new capabilities. The secret
sauce behind all this innovation is the vast economic engine
pulling Ethernet. We live in a world of technology; but at the end
of the day, it's all about economics.
Since its standardization in 1983, Ethernet has become the most
widely adopted networking technology, carrying an estimated 95% of
the world's data. No other interconnect technology comes close to
achieving the level of commercial success enjoyed by Ethernet, and
no other interconnect technology has seen the level of technical
innovation demonstrated by Ethernet.
This is precisely why the LXI Consortium selected Ethernet
connectivity for instrumentation and has consistently stuck with
standard Ethernet. LXI is not a custom standard. It simply is a
consistent implementation of standard Ethernet. It's all about using
economics to our advantage.
The Ethernet eco-system consistently rises to meet new applications
at a scale unmatched by any other IO technology. Others have tried
to demonstrate technical superiority, but they always are
short-lived. Without a broad market and supplier base, they suffer
higher prices, slower innovation, and eventual replacement. Ethernet
turned this corner years ago, giving it a deep pool of suppliers to
drive innovation and improvement rather than obsolescence.
I was reminded of this recently while discussing switched fabric and
backplane technologies for Ethernet. Keep in mind that standard
Ethernet easily meets most system throughput needs.
For most applications, the size of the pipe has nothing to do with
test throughput. But there are a few specialized test applications
that require fast data transfer. For them, the Ethernet eco-system
once again comes to the rescue. And the test industry gets it free.
I am referring to several exciting IEEE efforts underway to reduce
latency and improve speed, two important topics for test developers.
The 802.3ap Ethernet Over Backplane (EOB) Task Force is
standardizing Ethernet's backplane signaling and autonegotiation
capability, allowing coexistence and compatibility between 10GB XAUI
devices and GbE devices. The 802.3ar Congestion Management Task
Force and the 802.1 efforts are defining new advances in Ethernet
congestion management, addressing issues that have traditionally
limited some latency-sensitive entertainment applications.
These examples represent some of the innovation going on behind the
scenes in the Ethernet community. Interconnect technologies will
continue to evolve to meet changing applications.
Ethernet brings us a steady stream of new capabilities that will
improve test in ways we have only begun to understand. I am
consistently amazed at the level of innovation and support driving
Ethernet and I am reminded it is not the technology that is
important—it is the economics that makes it all possible.
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October 2006
Taking a Bold Step—With Eyes Wide Open
During
the development of the LXI promotional plan, the consortium's
marketing committee was concerned about how we should communicate
our intentions to people who create test systems. Overly bold
statements about the demise of GPIB could scare off some who have a
large inventory of test equipment. Vague promises of frothy benefits
might fail to capture the imagination of those who can truly benefit
from LAN as their system I/O.
If you’ve seen the consortium’s full-page advertisement for LXI,
then you already know that we ultimately chose a bolder approach.
But it took long hours of discussion to get there.
In our wee-hours deliberations, we were emboldened by stories from
members who had presented LXI to system creators. More often than
not, the reaction was ‘‘It’s about time!’’
Still, we didn’t want to give anyone the impression that they should
throw away their hard-earned expertise in automated test systems.
Yet, we wanted to proclaim our mission: provide a modern, long-lived
successor to GPIB—not just a successor, but the successor.
A Shakespearean successor often ascends the throne in a noisy,
dramatic, and messy fashion. In contrast, LXI will take a patient,
logical, and professional approach, much like the talented COO who
is being groomed by the immensely popular CEO. Both know it’s best
if they can coexist amicably without forcing anyone to take sides.
For GPIB and LXI, the concept of hybrid systems is the key to
peaceful coexistence and a graceful transition. The consortium
recognizes that real-world systems will include many types of
instruments—GPIB, PXI, VXI, and now LXI—for years to come. We’re
even formalizing the concept of hybrid systems in the next revision
of the LXI standard.
Confidence precedes boldness, and doing the right things the right
way builds confidence. The decision to leverage existing standards
and then define how they should work together was the foundation.
Ensuring that LXI can work side-by-side with its predecessor
strengthens that foundation and our confidence.
The real confidence booster, though, has been the rapidly growing
global interest in LXI. At every turn, positive reactions from
people like you who build test systems have deepened our commitment
to our bold message: LXI is the successor to GPIB. It’s only a
matter of time.
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July 2006
Giving New Meaning to Global Network
The
pervasiveness of Ethernet and the reach of the Web have enabled the
creation of global online communities. Attracted by the power of
those same technologies, the burgeoning community of LXI
manufacturers, integrators, and end users is becoming increasingly
international.
Within its first year, the LXI Consortium built a roster of more
than 40 member organizations. Perhaps more significant is the global
reach of the LXI network: Anritsu and Yokogawa Electric in Japan,
BAE Systems and Pickering Interfaces in the U.K., Brüel & Kjaer in
Denmark, GOEPEL electronic and Rohde & Schwarz in Germany, Shaanxi
Hitech in China, and SofTec Microsystems in Italy.
Interest in LXI certainly is on the rise across the Atlantic. The
PlugFest held April 25-27 in Munich, Germany, was our first in
Europe. The people at Rohde & Schwarz were terrific hosts, and it
was exciting to see the enthusiasm of European integrators, end
users, and members of the IEEE 1588 community. Based on comments
heard during the meetings and in casual conversations, LXI clearly
is gaining momentum as the successor to GPIB in many applications.
Elsewhere, some end users are so intrigued by the benefits of LXI
that they are organizing themselves at the grassroots level. Most
notable is recent activity in China where a new LXI association is
preparing for its inaugural event in September in the scenic South
China city of Zhang Jia-Jie. Organizers expect more than 150
attendees from local universities, R&D institutes, and
manufacturers. To help accelerate understanding of LXI, the
association is planning to translate the standard into Chinese and
make it available in time for the meeting.
Also in China, several university professors are working to create
LXI-related courses to teach engineering students about emerging
trends in test systems. Many of these same professors are proposing
R&D projects to develop LXI-based systems that demonstrate the
concepts and capabilities of the standard.
For member companies, it’s one thing to tout the capability of LXI
to enable remote troubleshooting of a system halfway around the
world. It’s another to say it when you’re confident that another
enthusiastic fan of LXI is sitting in front of the remote system.
That confidence will grow as global interest in LXI continues to
give new meaning to the term global network.
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April 2006
Be Ready for the Light-Bulb Moment
Fueled by the growing number of
compliant products and a variety of seminar tours, LXI is beginning
to spark the imagination of test engineers and test managers around
the world.
In my conversations with these folks, they often ask, ‘‘How easily
can I do what I’m doing today?’’ As they listen to the answers, the
light-bulb moment is almost tangible. The next flurry of questions
revolves around not only new ways to do the usual tasks, but also
unusual ways to solve the larger issues that surround testing.
Which issues? Smaller teams, tighter launch windows, and greater
reliance on offshore manufacturing all come to mind. LXI offers a
cost-effective way to create test systems in this dynamic
environment. It also generates new opportunities that are
difficult—if not impossible—to implement with other architectures.
Remote measurement is one especially promising application. Through
the LAN connection, LXI makes it possible to place instruments far
from the PC and from each other and near the devices they measure or
the processes they monitor.
This isn’t just a marketer’s fever dream. A leading supplier of
prefabricated concrete parts has assembled an LXI-based system to
implement a method called cathodic protection. This technique
prevents corrosion of the steel reinforcement used in concrete
modules by applying an electric field to the steel and scanning
embedded sensors that monitor the system.
Remote access to the LXI-compliant switch/measure unit and modular
power system is accomplished through a universal mobile
telecommunications system (UMTS) wireless link and a secure virtual
private network (VPN) channel. The system software runs on a Linux
server that can automatically monitor multiple remote installations
such as parking structures. Using LXI enhances the flexibility of
the solution without compromising the quality or predictability of
the measurement.
LXI enables many other intriguing applications, ranging from remote
troubleshooting of a system halfway around the world to the
emulation of outdated equipment via synthetic instruments. Unleash
your imagination—and brace yourself for the light-bulb moment.
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January 2006
LXI: This Is a Good Thing!
I recently was talking to my new
neighbor about what I do for a living. This discussion always
involves more than just a simple description of test engineering or
that I’m in measurement and test. What? Test? Isn’t that something
you try to avoid in life? Test is one of those activities that most
people just don’t think about because someone else does. For
example, when was the last time you wondered if your cell phone was
really going to work? This is a good thing.
Now we are launching an entirely new test environment on a topic
that most of the general population doesn’t even know exists or
cares to know about. What does all this have to do with LXI and the
recently released version 1.0 of the specification at Autotestcon
2005? Who would have envisioned that 40 of the world’s leading test
companies would be members after only a year in the making?
LXI is one of those good things that ultimately you don’t want
anyone to think about. The goal of the consortium and the standard
is that LXI just exists—it works consistently, predictably,
efficiently, reliably.
If LXI is implemented correctly, it will revolutionize worldwide
test deployment. It should reduce implementation cost, minimize
system integration obstacles, and ultimately not be thought about
much.
When was the last time you went to the Internet and wondered what
was going to happen? You just don’t think about the infrastructure
that makes it work—it just works. This is a good thing.
So, too, for LXI. We’ve gone through the efforts of concept selling,
enlistment, specification, and implementation. Now we begin the task
of making it happen. In the end, no one will think about how it all
works—it just does, consistently, predictably, efficiently,
reliably—that’s LXI.
The next time you are asked about what you do for a living, just say
casually, I implement worldwide test systems that use LXI, a
standards-based specification uniquely designed for test and
measurement that allows companies across the known universe to
design and deploy product and component testing for aerospace,
communications, and other wide and varied electronics manufacturing
so that you don’t have to think much about it.
This is a good thing. It’s LXI.
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October 2005
365, 100, 36, 7, 6, 3, 2, 1
So what is the significance of this
string of numbers? Nothing if you weren’t participating or haven’t
been paying attention since Sept. 14, 2004. Since that day, there
has been a whirlwind of activity for most companies in the test and
measurement business.
An entire year, 365 days to be exact, has gone by, and since then,
we have engaged more than 100 engineers from 36 test and measurement
companies working across seven countries on three continents. We had
six full membership meetings, two plug fests, and countless
subcommittee and working-group meetings to produce one document that
defines a unified specification for LAN-based instrumentation.
When we launched the LXI Consortium, we hoped to bring together a
diverse group of companies and users to establish a standard that
benefits the test and measurement customer. We believed that by
working together we could create a uniform Ethernet implementation
that ensures interoperability across vendors, simplifying the system
developer’s task. We wanted to launch a communications environment
that leverages the power, ubiquity, and cost profile of Ethernet yet
preserves the integrity and longevity required by the test and
measurement industry.
LXI meets that challenge.
We have written a specification document that addresses many of the
issues that typically have been associated with LAN, such as
triggering, latency, and speed, with innovations including a unified
trigger model and the application of IEEE 1588. The LXI
specification captures the power of Ethernet yet ensures
interoperability among vendors. The LXI working groups built
definitions that enable a wide variety of solutions and applications
by giving customers the standards-based requirements they need today
and in the future.
The consortium has achieved a lot in the past year—we have been
challenged, fatigued, and honored to be part of this effort. When I
think back to some of the earliest discussions where an independent
industry consortium was proposed, I am amazed by the level of
teamwork, professionalism, cooperation, and progress the consortium
has made in the past year. I am honored to work with such a group,
and I have made many great friendships along the way.
With the release of Spec 1.0, we will begin to see our ideas
flourish as products and systems. I’m incredibly excited to see what
will take place in the next 365.
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