Frost & Sullivan predicts strong adoption of PXI through 2020
OEMs are adopting PXI-based instrumentation to take advantage of the PXI platform's measurement speed, small footprint, low power consumption, and flexibility, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan titled “PXI Market to Change the Face of the Test and Measurement Industry.” The market research firm said PXI reduces the time to market and overall cost of tests—especially in the wireless communications space.
The firm found that the market earned revenues of $563.3 million in 2013 and estimates PXI sales to reach $1.75 billion by 2020.
“Besides the uptake in RF wireless communications, the global PXI market will get a leg up from new programs in aerospace and defense and integration of wireless technologies in the industrial and consumer electronics industries,” said Frost & Sullivan test and measurement industry director Jessy Cavazos. “Additionally, it is finding opportunities in the semiconductor automatic test equipment market.”
However, test engineers retain affection for the box instruments they have used effectively for decades—a fact that is slowing down the transition to PXI test systems. Frost & Sullivan predicts that “…the emergence of a new generation of test engineers that is more comfortable with computers will mitigate this challenge.”
“Meanwhile, the more complex process of integrating PXI test systems, in comparison to rack-and-stack test systems, can be a challenge for customers,” said Cavazos. “To ease the process of integration, market participants across the globe are offering different levels of integration services and tools that enable customers to assemble PXI test systems quickly with minimal effort.”
For example, PXI pioneer National Instruments has a network of alliance partners who will configure PXI systems for end users. And companies including National Instruments and Marvin Test Solutions will put together complete systems for applications including semiconductor test, as will be described in an upcoming EE-Evaluation Engineering article currently scheduled for our October print issue. In fact, NI rolled out its Semiconductor Test System, or STS, at its recent NIWeek event—read more here. See also this related article on PXI and box instruments for semiconductor test.
Frost & Sullivan's new report “PXI Market to Change the Face of the Test and Measurement Industry” is part of the firm's Test & Measurement Growth Partnership Service program. The report notes that Keysight Technologies (formerly the electronics test and measurement business of Agilent Technologies), the historical leader in traditional RF/microwave instrumentation, has increased its participation in the PXI market to retain customers. The report further notes that the increasing multichannel nature of products is driving the adoption of PXI in both manufacturing and R&D applications.
Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include “Global Radio Frequency Testing Market,” “Analysis of the Global Oscilloscopes Market,” “Quantifying the Global Opportunity for LXI,” and “Global Wireless Test Equipment Market.” All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
The report also suggests that the advent of 5G to enable the Internet of Things affect the PXI market during the forecast period.
The report reflects input from companies including ADLINK, Aeroflex, Keysight, LitePoint (a division of Teradyne that includes the former ZTEC Instruments), Marvin Test Solutions, Modular Methods, National Instruments, Pickering Interfaces, Teradyne (which offers PXI instruments in addition to the ones available from its LitePoint subsidiary), and VTI Instruments.