Patent ID: 7908531

Claim:
An automatic test system for testing a unit under test (UUT), comprising: a) a network; b) a first functional module coupled to the network and to the UUT, wherein the first functional module comprises an analog-to-digital converter comprising: i) a UUT interface coupled to the UUT, the first functional module being adapted to receive an analog test signal through the UUT interface as part of a test of the UUT and convert the analog test signal into data comprising a digital representation of the analog test signal; and ii) a network interface coupled to the network, the network interface being adapted to transfer the data between the network and the first functional module; c) a plurality of second functional modules interconnected with the first functional module via the network to form one or more virtual instruments, each of the plurality of second functional modules comprising: i) data processing circuitry adapted to perform a function on the data; and ii) a network interface coupled to the network, the network interface being adapted to receive over the network the data from the first functional module, whereby any of the plurality of second functional modules may receive the data from the first functional module via the network interface of the second functional module.