Frost & Sullivan validates the industry’s need for embedded instrumentation

A recently published white paper from Frost & Sullivan, the global research and consulting firm, analyzes the critical importance of embedded instrumentation and its adoption in the test and measurement industry. In fact, the white paper makes the point that “embedded instrumentation is projected to be the future of chip, board and system testing.”

The white paper is titled “Embedded Instrumentation: Its Importance and Adoption in the Test & Measurement Marketplace.” It explores this topic by analyzing the concept of embedded instrumentation and its importance, describing the market trends driving its adoption and considering the new entrants in this market segment.

In a press release announcing the availability of the white paper, its author, Sujan Sami, Frost & Sullivan’s measurement and instrumentation industry manager, was quoted as saying, “The need for test and measurement equipment is pervasive for any type of electronic system in virtually all end-user applications. With board and chip complexity increasing rapidly, it is extremely critical to test for the proper functionality of both the chips themselves and the printed circuit boards where they have been installed. For decades now, traditional external instruments have been used to collect and analyze test data. However, it is presently becoming more difficult to use these older types of instruments. The future is about software-based T&M systems and, more generally, embedded instrumentation.”

The white paper explains how the increasing density, speed and complexity of chips and boards challenge the older intrusive and hardware-intense validation and test technologies, like oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, in-circuit test (ICT) systems, flying probe testers, manufacturing defect analyzers and others.

“Since the invention of the integrated circuit, the electronics hardware industry has evolved according to Moore’s law, which asserts that the number of transistors on chips will double every two years. In such a scenario, it is necessary to keep pace with this trend and develop instruments for debugging and testing chips and circuit boards that are faster, denser and more complex every year. Embedded instrumentation offers an effective solution,” Sami said in the news release.

The white paper is free and available from Frost & Sullivan. If you are interested in receiving a copy of “Embedded Instrumentation: Its Importance and Adoption in the Test & Measurement Marketplace,” simply send an e-mail to Frost & Sullivan’s Sarah Saatzer, Corporate Communications, at sarah.saatzer@frost.com with the following information: full name, company name, title, company telephone number, company e-mail address, city, state, and country. The white paper will be emailed to you.