A Futurist Vision for Instrumentation

Abstract

For those of us that are Trekies as well as techies, having Geordi's computer that can answer detailed system status questions in real time is something of a holy grail. Indeed, who doesn't like the idea of being able to ask a question and almost instantaneously get an answer? Fortunately, this basic functionality of being able to query an instrumentation system and have it return any level of detail about the system is within reach. Borrowing from another science fiction show, we might say: "We have the technology ..." The ability to network complex systems together - even to the point of having devices autonomously link into the system - is common place. Devices that can report their status, test themselves for failures, and self calibrate are also common. Certainly software interfaces into complex systems, including the graphics for hierarchical 3-D displays, can be created. Unfortunately, we do not currently have all of the different technologies needed for a fully automated instrumentation support system integrated into our particular domain. This paper looks at why we don't have this now and where we are in terms of getting there. This includes discussions of networking, metadata, smart instrumentation, standardization, the role manufacturers need to play, and a little historical perspective.