In the research and development of modern flexible structures the need for cost-efficient hardware and minimum time requirements for both setup and execution
of measurements has led to a number of promising solutions. On the one hand, classical measurement and analysis devices such as oscilloscopes and spectrum analysers have become more intelligent by means of graphical interfaces and user specific function
programming capabilities. On the other hand, computer systems for real-time applications have become more affordable, are equipped with user friendly interfaces, and can be applied to a wide variety of applications. Naturally, a classical trade-off between flexibility and complexity (which is closely related to costs) exists: One extreme are measuring devices built for a dedicated purpose, simple but rugged, operating in hard real-time, typically low-cost in pure hardware but affording a large amount of time for design and development. The other extreme is a standard PC equipped only with a minimum of input/output hardware and using a standard operating system thus only enabling soft real-time operation.