This article will cover measurement strategies for applications like engine test stands, structural analysis or wind tunnel measurements. In all those applications there are some common requirements like measurement precision, ease and speed of calibration, synchronisation of all data-channels and how to handle the distributed character of test systems. We will show how you can achieve a synchronisation of roughly 20nsec in a largely distributed system, with measurement stations over 3000 feet apart over your standard Ethernet connection. Furthermore the old approach of separating fast channels like vibration and slow channels like temperature tends to disappear. In most modern systems the user wishes to have these groups of channels with different acquisition speeds synchronised to a common clock. In addition to these technical problems, manufacturers are faced with price pressure and the problem of longevity of their test systems.
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