Integrating wireless measurements with wired systems

Wireless technology is more accessible today than it has ever been. From Wi-Fi hotspots to the iPhone, wireless is changing the way people share information and stay connected. Automated test is no exception. Wireless measurement devices are enabling new distributed systems and are facilitating portable applications where cabling has previously been impossible or uneconomical. However, re-architecting systems to take advantage of wireless is not a practical approach for automated test designers, particularly in defense applications. Rather, the first step is to incorporate wireless measurements with existing wired systems. This paper discusses the difficulties of integrating wireless in automated test systems, in particular security and interoperability, and proposes techniques for overcoming those challenges.