A good approach with respect to being "less dependent on a single computer"
is to use a headless instrument that works with any PC you plug it into.
Almost every box in a modern R&D workspace needs to talk to a PC, but there
are few good reasons to demand that the T&M manufacturers build a separate
PC and display into each of them. (Portability in a field-friendly
instrument being one of those good reasons.)
Frankly if I were shopping for a new MXA-class spectrum analyzer today I'd
be inclined to look at Signal Hound first. Their newer SAs don't give up
much ground to the big boys in terms of features or performance, and most of
their gear supports Linux as well as Windows.
Keysight has made some exploratory moves into the headless space with the
Streamline products, but SH and Tek got the jump on them in the
spectrum-analyzer department.
-- john, KE5FX
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-----Original Message-----
I was wondering how one could design the architecture of a modern instrument
to be more universal and less dependant on a single computer. I imagine
(dream of) enabling the HW core of the instrument to be used to full extent
with an external computer if the internal has failed or cannot be used
anymore.
cheers
Martin
