VIAVI Instrument Programming Tool (VIP Tool) Excel-Based Test Automation Software for Radio Test Sets

The VIAVI Instrument Programming Tool (VIP Tool) is software for creating custom automated test procedures on VIAVI radio test sets. It is aimed at technicians of all skill levels and does not require prior programming or software development experience to write test scripts.

Traditional instrument programming typically involves downloading and installing drivers, running configuration programs, installing scripting language tools and defining custom data formats, with limited graphical reporting unless additional software is installed. The VIP Tool removes these steps by running within Microsoft Excel, with no software or driver installation required on Windows computers that have Excel.

Scripting

Scripts can range from simple to complex. Keywords such as call and run help organize a script, and the graphical user interface allows a script to be started and stopped at any point. The VIAVI Instrument Programming Language supports program decisions based on conditional statements, repetitive tasks through looping, and generation of formatted test reports. Built-in error checking and debugging capabilities help troubleshoot scripts.

Reporting

Test results can be exported as reports with supporting graphics, such as Channel Analyzer and Distribution plots, using the graphing and formatting capabilities of Excel. Trace data can be plotted for graphical viewing and inclusion in reports.