Embedded test and measurement.

Abstract

A virtual test set was designed to perform audio range analog transmission impairment testing in accordance with IEEE Std 743-1995. This virtual test set was developed in the Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW) development suite, a programming language primarily focused on automation and control, and was designed with flexibility in mind. Through the use of queues and parallel processing, the virtual test set is capable of functioning as a transmission impairment measurement test set, a function generator, an oscilloscope, a spectrum analyzer, and a digital multimeter The impairment measurements the virtual test set can perform include: 1004Hz Net Loss, CNotched Noise Ratio, Impulse Noise, Phase Jitter, 3-Tone Slope, Attenuation Distortion, Intermodulation Distortion, Envelope Delay Distortion, and Echo Loss. The virtual test set is capable of performing all of the impairment measurement tests automatically and can even send and receive selective signaling and frequency shift keying signals. The virtual test set demonstrates that software-based test equipment, with minimal hardware for interfacing purposes, can produce test sets that are smaller, lighter, more user-friendly, and more cost effective analog test sets than hardware based test sets.