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The article takes a look at test system technology developments for aerospace and defense applications. It discusses the challenge for test and measurement equipment involving precision-guided munitions of the U.S. military. Test equipment include the 5560 3U VPX Xilinx Versal HBM adaptive compute acceleration platform (ACAP) processor from Mercury Systems, Tectronix 2 Series Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO), Marvin Test Solutions MTS-3060A SmartCan and AnritsuSignal Quality Analyzer-R MO1900A.

The article focuses on the U.S. Navy selecting RDA Inc. to develop the Low-Cost Acoustic Processor (LCAP) engineering tool for cost-effective sonobuoy test, development, and evaluation to enhance airborne anti-submarine warfare capabilities on Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

The article evaluates the RTS-210 dual-slot rugged test and measurement system for VPX and SOSA-aligned payloads from LCR Embedded Systems Inc.

The article focuses on the use of benchtop instruments to improve the capabilities of modular instruments. It offers information on equivalent test system that can be developed by inserting instrument modules into one chassis. It mentions that modular instruments market rose to 1.12 billion dollars and expected to double by 2023 to 2.11 billion dollars.

The article informs that the officials of the Air Force Sustainment Center at Robins Air Force Base have announced a contract to TFAB Defense Systems to develop software and test hardware for Air Force's Versatile Depot Automatic Test Station (VDATS). It mentions that the VDATS design enables modular capability enhancements with mission equipment support sets for small augmentations.

Reports on developments in the electronic industries. Issuance of the U.S. Patent 6,892,167 to Sypris Data Systems Inc.'s real-time data acquisition network technology; Utilization by the Belgian military of CableTest Systems Inc.'s MPT wiring and interconnect test system as its next-generation test platform for F-16 Mid-Life Upgrade; Number of test equipment delivered by Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems to Pratt & Whitney Corp.

The article announces test and measurement experts at Lockheed Martin Corp. has provide 35 eCASS advanced combat avionics test instruments under terms of a $89.2 million order announced in December. Topics include the eCASS architecture has based on the Lockheed Martin LM-STAR commercial automated testing system has designed to facilitate technology insertion; and LM-STAR serves as the cornerstone of the F-35 Lightning II harmnnization plan.

The article discusses the critical automatic test equipment (ATE) requirements for parametric test of optically networked weapon systems. It states that the ongoing test requirements for military applications are unique that require new equipment capabilities to augment current test systems, affecting all stages of test in factories, field and depots.

The article offers information on various products including THE SENTINEL Blackbelt Pro multi-port test system from Cincinnati Test Systems Inc., the Cat 6A cable from Cicoil Corp., and Master Bond Inc.'s MASTERSIL 156, a two-part, addition-cured silicone system.

This article presents information on the Autotest 2014 show held in Saint Louis, Misosuri in September 2014, which showcased automated test systems for military/aerospace equipment. Products featured during the event include the M9290A CXA-m PXIe signal analyzer from Keysight Technologies, the RouteWarePRO 4.0 software from Universal Switching and the PXI product line unveiled by ADLINK Technology.

The test system enables small-cellwaveform generation and analysis for 5Gradio technologies and allows for real-time RFparametric analysis for small-cell products. All signalgeneration, analysis, processing, and RFfront-end switching are self-contained inside asingle chassis. This AiP module is designed toenable A/2 wavelength antenna lattice spacingwhen tiled together to support higher-powerapplications. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports that modular instrumentation are available in the form of kits. Switching modules support only certain circuit configurations such as multiplexers or matrices. Several manufacturers provide high-speed digitizers with 12 or 14 bits of resolution. ADLINK's 14-bit PCIe-9852 two-channel 200- MS/s digitizer includes onboard signal averaging.

The article focuses on the importance of the VXI modular solution in recent times. VXI is used in many Aero automated test systems (ATS). The VXI standard has a track record as an architecture, which can be trusted for applications who are in need of a long life cycle. The VXI board size and power budget are different from smaller formats such as PXI with a power budget

The article discusses a method for improving the long-term reliability for a population of electromechanical (EM) relays. It is said that the cost of replacing a defective component before shipping the end product is less. The testing method, contact resistance stability (RDEL), can assure that multiple readings are consistent with small variations.

The article offers information on radio frequency/microwave test systems for military and aerospace applications. It is said that these systems face multiple mandates: high performance, long life, upward migration paths and low cost. Technology company Racal Instruments Inc.'s 257A RF interface units (RFIUs) include relay counters to monitor end of life.

The article offers information on switch modules used for test applications. It is said that micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switches are not condidered by major test equipment manufacturers to be ready for prime time, particularly not for the test applications already served by modules based on relay and solid-state technologies.

The article discusses software support for mission-critical military and aerospace systems (MIL/Aero). Software developed by Agilent Technologies Inc., Geotest-Marvin Test Systems Inc., and National Instruments Corp. have been used by organizations including Astronics DME, BAE Systems, Edwards Air Force Base, Embraer, Lockheed Martin, and NATO in MIL/Aero applications. MATLAB-based tools can also used in MIL/Aero applications. .

The article discusses the use of matrix switching systems which offer a solution for signal switching in test systems. Nick Turner, president of instrument maker Cytec, pointed out size limitations for matrices and multiplexers. He said that signals which connect to a large number of relay contacts in parallel, such as in a big matrix, the overall capacitance of the contacts limits high-frequency performance.

The article discusses the factors that need to be considered when designing a high-density switching system. According to the author, the factors include the test system form factor, the switch architecture, voltage, current and power trade-offs. He adds that the switch should operate well within its specifications even at low frequencies to remain reliable. He discusses various types of switching systems and their applications which include solid-state, feed relays, electromechanical relays.

The article discusses the importance of applying a standardized and consistent procedure for measuring concurrent test efficiency (CTE). CTE is a way to determine how well the test method is applied and how well the design of the device is able to support a concurrent test process. One benefit is that it helps in estimating the test times for new instruments. CTE may also help in figuring out the effects of changes in the test setup or design of the device to be tested.

The article offers information on switching in an automated test system. The common problems with the implementation of switching include misunderstanding the effects of the need of using great amounts of transmission lines and not making sure that the switch has adequate bandwidth. It cites some of the best practices developed by engineers to eliminate the problems. A star switch refers to a multithrow switch without the pole or common. The advantages of using a star switch are also cited.

The article discusses the standards of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing. A brief overview is given on two actual test examples which illustrate the range of situations facing EMC test laboratories. It describes the EMC test compliance achieved by Komatsu and General Motors. It also discusses the approach for dealing with EMC for one's next design project. Information is given on the evolution of EMC standards and EMC requirements. It outlines the specific recommendations of the Intertek white paper involving EMC test compliance.

A list of companies that offer automated test equipment, which include Agilent Technologies, Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, and National Technical Systems, is presented.

The article discusses the multiport test system designs that simplify multiport S-Parameter measurements from In-Phase Technologies Inc. It notes that powerful data-acquirement and processing capacities are among the features of the software. It adds that the multiport measurement software can provide an automatic function recalculation or function sets like port-to-port insertion loss and return loss, on each measurement acquirement.

The article discusses the advantages of memory test system with breakthrough parallelism. One way of reducing cost of test (COT) for high-volume production is to increase the parallelism of the tester. Cost is the first disadvantage of increasing parallelism since pin electronics (PE) cost scales directly with parallelism. In addition, added power and associated cooling increase the space needed for the PE. The Active Matrix technology of the Verigy V6000 test platform provides high parallelism with the flexibility to meet a range of test needs at a lower cost.

The article discusses emerging synthetic instruments (SI) and IVI driver solutions. The U.S. Department of Defense's Synthetic Instrument Working Group (SIWG) offered an original definition of SI in 2004 as elemental hardware and software components with standardized interfaces and measurements software which yield a smaller footprint and greater flexibility. The manner in which how an entire test system works is described. The article also explores several emerging standard software input/output (I/O) interfaces for SI.

The article discusses the role and advantages of synthetic instrumentation (SI) system. SI uses a collection of basic hardware and building blocks in a flexible, open and modular architecture to combine the stimulus and measurement functions needed by a given test application. It explains the transition of virtual instruments (VI), built-in software executed on a personal computer (PC) or laptop and which were invented by National Instruments Corp., to SI. The features of synthetic instruments from Aeroflex, Agilent Technologies Inc., National Instruments and Phase Matrix Inc. are also highlighted.

The article presents information on the evolution of optical transceiver test. It is noted that the basic component of an optical communication system is consist of a transmitter, a fiber channel, and a receiver. It is important to know how good or bad the receiver and channel will be for the receiver specifications to set the transmitter specifications. The key requirements for the transmitter are based on the receiver needing a wide separation are discussed. It also describes the process of modern bit-error-ratio (BER) test system and its pattern generators design to produce calibrated levels of distortion or stress.

The article discusses the development of an automated test-solution (ATE) for current and next-generation complex Radio Frequency (RF) Single Inline Package/System Operating Procedure devices. The first step in the development of the device interface board (DIB) is the mapping of available system resources to the device pin requirements. A reference clock signal connected to all four sites in parallel must be sourced by the ATE system. An ATE RF instrument with universal ports is essential to simplify the DIB design problems. Test program development is the second challenge in the development. Majority of the program should be developed using pattern-oriented programming in order to achieve the highest parallel test efficiency.

The article focuses on dealing with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment obsolescence which is called legacy instrument replacement. Among the many elements complicating legacy instrument replacement is the investment already made in the related test program sets (TPS). It states that with a direct form, fit and function (FFF) solution, one simply replaces the old instrument and carries on as before. According to David Manor of Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, all of their FFF replacement instruments use a field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based architecture, which provides them the flexibility to easily update functionality in the factory or in the field.

The article discusses the advantages of LAN extensions for instrumentation (LXI) and scripting. Scripting is considered a powerful and convenient way to give programmability for instruments in test and measurement applications. Basically, scripting is writing programs in a scripting language to coordinate a sequence of actions. Script programs, compared to other programming languages, do not require to be precompiled before being run. Examples of popular scripting languages are Perl® Python®, VBScript® and JavaScript®. On the other hand, LXI instruments have a Telnet port that can be applied for remote control.

The article talks about tools that are available for programming a LAN extensions for instrumentation (LXI) system. Vendors like Agilent Technologies, Data Translation, The MathWorks and National Instruments have adapted their application development environments to support LXI system development. Programming an LXI instrument is not considerably different than programming other classes of instruments when working with familiar development environments. With Measure Foundry, the standard method to program LX instruments using property pages and no coding is with the Professional Version, a requirement for connecting either the Instrument Pak or Advanced Instrument Pak, both of which add objects to access the IVI-COM interface through property pages.

The article discusses the types of switching systems and instruments used in automated testing. It is stated that the growing popularity of Ethernet-based LXI instruments has allowed manufacturers to separate form from function to a large degree. A comparison between VXI and PXI switching modules is presented. According to the article, a typical VXI modules are 6U high and offer a much larger PCB area than the usual PXI 3U modules. It is noted that competition between the two standards are influenced by the test systems used within a company.

The article reports on the development of 12-port vector-network-analyzer (VNA) test system capable of S-parameter measurements on single-ended, mixedmode, and differential devices and components from 40 megahertz to 65 gigahertz by Anritsu Co. It is ideal for signal integrity measurements on high-speed devices and systems. A flexible calibration and measurement software from by PAF Co. managed the calibration for the system and 12-port applications.

The article offers four diverse data acquisition (DAQ) projects as examples of optimum solutions to complex test and measurement applications. Each system employs a wide range of measurements and satisfies several constraints. The U.S. Department of Energy has established a number of high-technology projects as part of an initiative to improve the capacity and reliability of the country's electricity grid including the development of a 138-kV Saturable Reactor type of fault current limiter (FCL) by SC Power Systems. C&H Technologies has developed an Aperture ADC on an M Module for use on a VXI carrier in the VXI test system of the customer experiencing long analysis time on multiple channels of digitized analog data.

The article explores the role of impedance matching and switch quality on achieving accurate and repeatable measurements with a radio frequency (RF)/microwave test system. It cites some of the causes of impedance mismatches in high-frequency test systems. It illustrates the use of voltage standing-wave ratio in measuring impedance matching and reflected power in RF systems. It also discusses some of the factors to consider when designing an RF switch system.

The article focuses on board shorts testing. The author claims that because of reduced access, lower voltage rails and other effects of high-functionality designs, the process of finding board shorts became more complex. Shorts testing is identified as unpowered in -circuit analog impedance method that can easily detect possible electrical failures. It is aimed at avoiding damage to the board that could happen if it were designed for subsequent digital logic, boundary scan and component testing.

The article focuses on the use of common core automated test systems for functional testing. In order to lessen overall cost and to increase flexibility, the approach to high-end aerospace/defense test system development is moved from application-specific systems to common core automated systems. Proprietary legacy systems are being replaced by common core test sets using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and open software environments. Under a subcontract for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (LMMFC) in Dallas, G Systems recently developed a common core automated test system to examine and confirm multiple functions of a new missile launcher for the Non-Line-of-Sight-Launch System (NLOS-LS).

The article looks at the impact of a test-driven approach on embedded software development. The author stresses the importance of having a new unified, test driven approach that adopts early developer testing practices and implements automated software. He reports that embedded software development has increased rapidly to support semiconductor technology and processes which have continually improved to produce more densely integrated and feature-packed silicon.

The article discusses how midplane quality can be ensured through boundary scan tests, with particular focus on the chassis-level products testing at Alcatel-Lucent. The author notes that the team filled all empty slots to perform functional slot testing in addition to the tests made with the boards designed for integration into a customer's equipment. He adds that the team decided to add a post-assembly interconnect test to reduce the time needed to return a defective chassis to the contractor.

The article presents information on microwave test systems. To ensure that system design parameters are met, the right components to control signal flow, signal level and signal integrity must be chosen. Topics discussed include attenuators, RF switches, directional couplers, power splitters and dividers, resistive power splitter/divider, lossless power splitter/divider, and circulators and isolators.

With a few of these devices, alaptop, a simple GUI, and a USB cord, designers are quicklyconfirming or denying various networking and signal managementtechniques and identifying the best components fortheir unique signal chains. GLO:5z3/01feb20:37n1.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): Lab Bricks developed by Vaunix represent a suite of solid-stateprogrammable RF test devices that include attenuators, signalgenerators, phase shifters, and switches in various RF/microwave bands. gl. [Extracted from the article]

The article states that the R&D manager wants to see the design verification test results and will not approve the release of the design until the environmental characterization results are reviewed. Oscilloscope can be used for testing time-domain devices in combination with automation software. Developing a test code can transfer tests quickly to manufacturing test system which can be facilitated by XML.

Provides information on the Technology Insertion for Legacy Systems (TILS), an emulation strategy that addresses the problem of instrument obsolescence in test systems. System used by TILS to translate instrument commands in real time to emulate the original system; Process of instrument selection in TILS; Architectural decisions to consider in developing emulators for obsolete instruments.

The article discusses equipment manufacturers using electric drives as the prime mover for mobile-hydraulic systems instead of internal-combustion engines, Parker Hannifin has begun addressing concerns associated with proving and using emerging technology such as risk. Topics include the Electrification Test Cell uses the flexibility of programmable electrohydraulic pumps to replicate a range of loading and duty-cycle profiles; and the Electrification Test Cell uses a second motor as the load.

Focuses on the development of the PXI-based tester designed to meet Maverick missile test requirements in the field and back shop as well as provide support for future Maverick components, by Raytheon Missile Systems and Geotest-Marvin Test Systems. Design goals of the test set; Details of the design phase; Features of the command and control subsystem of the tester.

The article focuses on maximizing the performance capability of conducted immunity test systems. There has been inefficiency within the present conducted immunity test systems in 2005. A conducted radio frequency immunity test must meet several key requirements which include the ability to produce repeatable results. An alternating current filter has the ability to block high-frequency common-mode interfering signals.

Discusses the use of gigahertz transverse electromagnetic cell in the upgrade of an in-house radio frequency (RF) emission system. Comparison between emissions testing and immunity testing; Distinction between open-loop field generation and closed-loop field generation; Test equipment required in converting test systems; Activities for system commissioning.

Provides information on test switching systems. Major subsystems of a test system; Types of general-purpose relays; Schematic diagram of a typical relay multiplexers; Relays used in constructing armature and reed matrices.

Presents several factors to consider in selecting a personal computer plug-in digital multi-meter (DMM) for a test system. Considerations in selecting a system software; Questions to consider in choosing a DMM; Importance of describing the dynamic range of a DMM in digits; Standard input resistance for DMM.