Software in the driver's seat

Software that works well has become essential to just about every industry such as aeronautics, factory automation systems, and medical devices, to name a few. To get software that works well requires rigorous testing, even with the most moderate programs. Proper testing takes a great deal of time and must involve all aspects of the software. To expedite the testing process and make it more thorough, tools for automated testing are being developed. Software is frequently created by an automated process, so automated testing comes with little surprise especially as programs get more and more complex. Another topic that has attracted the attention of developers is modular hardware with functions that can be easily redefined. The benefit of modular hardware is that when upgrades or enhanced functionality is available, the hardware is flexible enough to easily assimilate the new functions. Drivers that control the instruments are also receiving attention. Drivers provide a uniform way to get data from instruments into routines for analysis, data-logging, and presentation. Also, with open-source drivers, when an unexpected error occurs, users can step through the functions until the problem is uncovered.   Read the full article in Machine Design. 

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