Software for EMC: part 2; An industry expert discusses the characteristics and capabilities of several EMC test software packages on the market today.(EMC TEST SOFTWARE)

Part 1 in the October issue of EE focused on the history of EMC equipment and control software, listing what tests the software must perform and pointing out the capabilities and features of each type. The list included the need to control a wide variety of equipment and be flexible as a laboratory changes and grows.

Now we will look at the offerings from five software providers. The packages, each with its own strengths, are divided into two groups:

* Menu driven -- where the operator fills in pull-down menus and pop-up windows when starting a test.

* Icon driven -- where various icons, each with a defined task, are placed in series or parallel such as used in a flow chart.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

An individual icon can be modified by clicking on it, which opens a window with the parameters and call lists. Modifications can be local, such as for an individual test or parameter, or global, affecting other tests or parameters as well. Icons control simple tasks, such as saving the data, or complex operations, like performing a conducted emissions scan from 150 kHz to 30 MHz and controlling all functions of the measurement system. They are dragged and dropped onto a work area and connected together in the order they are to be used.

Each of the software packages is designed to control a variety of test equipment. These programs were developed not for one particular equipment manufacturer, but for a test-laboratory environment where equipment from many manufacturers is used and equipment changes and updates are common. …

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