Importance of Test and Measurement Instruments

Test and measurement instruments comprise everything from automatic test equipment (ATE), radio frequency (RF), Internet of Things (IoT), millimetre-wave (mm-wave) frequencies, and 5G test and data acquisition (DAQ) to oscilloscopes, signal generators and spectrum analyzers.
The need for testing and measurement is in almost every industry—ranging from automotive, IT and telecommunications, and aerospace and defence to electronics, industrial and healthcare.

Significance of Test and Measurement Instrument

Test and measurement equipment find renewed significance within the medical industry under diagnostic tests. In the wake of COVID-19, when lives are under a threat, test and measurement instruments get the picture by making complex and efficient diagnostic testing possible to help treatment, also because of the development of cures and preventive vaccines.

In the aviation industry, test and measurement devices are widely utilized in aircraft maintenance and flight inspection through non-destructive testing. This is extremely important to make sure the safety of flights also because of the extended lifetime of the aircraft.

Test equipment within the automotive sector helps improve the operability and functionality of vehicles and vehicle parts. Furthermore, it's important for safety compliance testing, in addition to the testing and analysis of the performance of the latest products within the market.

In the educational and research industry, test and measurement instruments have a high demand in laboratory testing.

In the electronic industry, this equipment is crucial for performance analysis and validation of electrical and electronic devices like semiconductors and batteries. Safety testing within the industry is crucial to avoid health hazards and damage.

Top Industries which needs Test and Measurement Equipment

The test and measurement industry is for certain to grow across many sectors. The following are the main industries and fields that drive the expansion of test and measurement equipment:

Automotive

While autonomous driving, connected cars and driverless vehicles are under the experimental stage, the necessity for test and measurement equipment is ever-increasing within the automotive sector to predict and optimize the performance of these vehicles.
RF testing is required to check the addition of wireless communications standards like Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and Wi-Fi to traditional automotive applications.
Other applications that demand test instruments include infotainment systems, automotive Industries, target simulation, collision avoidance and therefore the new Wi-Fi standard 802.11p.

Data Centers and New Standards

High-speed test and measurement instruments have increased demand in data centres with the need of higher bandwidths, sampling rates and new standards.
Applications like DQPSK and 16 QAM are growing, creating greater demand for test instruments.

5G and Pre-5G Technologies

The research on 5G and pre-5G (such as LTE Advanced Pro or 4.5G) technologies drives greater bandwidth requirements, which successively generates more demand for test and measurement devices.

Power Management Applications

Power management applications like power sequencing and power supplies require test and measurement equipment to maximise system efficiency and determination.

RF and Wi-Fi Standard

The new 802.11ax Wi-Fi Standard drives the expansion of test and measurement equipment because of new and complicated RF testing needs for higher performance and accuracy.

Aerospace and Defence

With the rise in complexity and variation of aerospace and defence systems, there's increased growth within the demand for flexible, scalable and accurate to solve challenges in testing, validation and verification.

Internet of Things

Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and mobile IoT standards like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and LTE-M are creating a high demand for parallel testing and low-cost USB instrumentation, also as vector network analyzers and DAQ systems.

Bio-Medical

Medical and healthcare instruments generate huge demand for efficient and precise testing.

Digital Transformation

Digital transformation of devices has driven the demand for different types of high-end test and measurement equipment.

The Future of Test and Measurement Instrument

The emergence of IoT, modular instrumentation and other complex technologies is expected to drive the growth of the test and measurement equipment industry in the future due to the need for the cost-effectiveness of the devices, reduced development times and greater performance efficiency.

Research and development of software upgrades and high-end communication technologies require better flexibility, higher measurement speeds, precise functionality, and effective real-time testing. These requirements are often met with the event of higher testing and measurement equipment.