Designing Modular Software Architectures for Next-Generation Heterogeneous Networked Test Systems

When developing next-generation test systems, developers face many challenges such as moving away from monolithic test systems, adding new technologies throughout the system´s life cycle, reducing costs by facilitating maintenance and exploiting COTS components. This paper discusses how a modular test architecture provides a solution to these problems by emphasizing the use of modular components instead of a monolithic design. The main parts of a modular test architecture - test management software, application development environments and measurement and control services - will be discussed. Special emphasis is placed on test management and the different components that comprise it.