Making a choice between an emulator or software migration

Many current automatic test systems employ legacy computer systems. These systems have software packages that have been proven over years of use. Unfortunately, the hardware for these computer systems is fast becoming unsupportable. The owners of these systems are faced with a choice to either translate the software to work with a modern computer system or replace the legacy computer with an emulator that will run the same programs with only minor software modifications. These alternatives must be evaluated not only from the viewpoint of current functionality but also future functionality as well. The failure to take into account the proper evaluation criteria can result a financial impact that can seriously impact the usefulness of the computer system. This paper discusses the evaluation criteria that should be applied when making that decision. These factors will be analyzed in terms of both financial and technical implications.