The PS 2100 is designed to be a broad, flexible maintenance and logistics tool that provides a single rugged platform for the field maintainer. To this end, the PS 2100 utilizes the latest technologies to provide broad test and measurement capabilities, compact and rugged environmental packaging and computing power. The PS 2100 is designed to provide capability for: 

• Multi-channel stimulus/response measurements from DC to 3 GHz (expandable) including most voltage, resistance, current, S-parameter, audio, video and RF measurements
• Access to electronic technical information and remote engineering support via Microsoft Windows 7 based microprocessor
• Tough IP-67 packaging for extremely harsh environments like rain, snow and dust
• Expansion capable to allow tailoring to user unique applications and requirements
  

The PS 2100 provides these capabilities through the use of modular, standards-based computing architectures, standard open-systems operating software and applications programming environments and open-systems hardware interfaces. This means that not only is the PS 2100 extremely capable for the missions that it was designed to perform but also is extremely extendable by either Pallas or third parties to perform the unknown missions of tomorrow. 

The PS 2100 is housed in a tablet-style platform roughly the size of a large notebook computer. It is completely sealed providing IP67 protection against the environment and is designed to provide MIL-PRF-28800 Class 1 protection. Two batteries provide long operating duration. The PS 2100 utilizes the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system with extensions for both voice and handwriting recognition. User interface is through a touch screen utilizing a high sunlight readable screen. All controls on the PS 2100 are designed for operation by a bare hand, stylus or gloved hand. In general, the PS 2100 contains all of the functionality one would expect for use at the operational level. 

What really sets the PS 2100 apart is the internal test capability, based on Synthetic Instrument (SI) architecture. Synthetic instruments are the test and measurement equivalent of the software defined radio (SDR) or the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Synthetic instruments use software programming to provide application specific focus to a broad hardware platform. In the case of the PS 2100, the internal instrumentation is capable of performing almost any measurement or stimulation required between DC and 3 GHz. The PS 2100 contains two response channels and a single stimulus channel and all channels are coherent with respect to each other. Each response channel is capable of capturing 500 MHz bandwidth up to 500 MHz and 25 MHz bandwidth between 500 MHz and 3 GHz. The stimulus channel is capable of generating any arbitrary waveform with a 400 MHz bandwidth up to 400 MHz and a 25 MHz bandwidth between 400 MHz and 3 GHz. Both stimulus and response channels are capable of fast frequency hopping across the band. In addition, the timing and triggering circuitry for both stimulus and response is highly integrated so that measurement or stimulus waveforms can be generated or triggered off of events generated by the other channels. Both stimulus and response channels provide modulation analysis bandwidths capable of supporting testing and generation of all current and future military communication signals and all commercial communications signals. 

What this means is that the PS 2100 can be configured to provide the performance and function of a multitude of traditional test instruments like a DMM (1000VAC/DC and 10A range), oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer, vector network analyzer, FDR, TDR, modulation analyzer, function generator, or vector signal generator. However the power is not just in replicating traditional instruments but morphing this capability into application specific unique instruments. An example would be an electronics test set that provides both waveform stimulus and response capture and analysis for radio testing or ultrasound flaw detection or rotating machinery vibration analysis. The open operating system (Windows 7) and open software driver capability also provide a platform that allows the user to integrate the SI capability into complex test automated environments utilizing simplistic graphical user interfaces. 

The PS 2100 has been designed to provide a single portable maintenance aid for the field level maintainer. Pallas envisions the PS 2100 becoming a crucial tool for militaries around the world. In addition, commercial operators in the oil, railroad and energy generation industries will find the product extremely useful.  While other products may provide the rugged computer or an instrument with some level of functionality, there is no comparable product that provides both the instrumentation range and computer functionality in a single rugged package.