by Michael L. Schwartz
Fluke MET/CAL® is a great tool for automation, but it is dated. Over the last 40 years, how we write, support, and maintain software has changed dramatically! We have moved from a single-core 8086 microprocessor to ultra-powerful multi-core 64-bit computers. And though much of MET/CAL’s core technology is dated, that doesn’t mean we, as programmers, can’t apply better software development techniques to write better automation.
One of the best software techniques to use in MET/CAL comes from Object Oriented Programming (OOP). Though these techniques work best in OOP-based languages, they can be applied to script-based languages like MET/CAL.
In this paper, we will use OOP design patterns, creating a pseudo-driver for the Meatest 9010. Then we will show the flexibility of the OOP Abstract Factory Pattern and how it allows us to interchange calibrators like the Fluke 5500A, 5520A, 5522A, 5540A, 5550A, 5560A, 5700A, 5720A, 5730A with the Meatest 9010, with no changes to the UUT Test Procedure.
