The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
The following topics are dealt with: test efficiency improvement; automatic testing; spectral and vector signal analysis; .NET framework; fault diagnosis; failure prognosis architecture; aircraft testing; system maintenance; digital instrumentation; system modernization; obsolescence; testing reliability; synthetic instrumentation; design testability; software standards and management; RF test; diagnostic...
The development of a novel technique for measuring HPA (High Power Amplifiers) AM (Amplitude Modulation) and PM (Phase Modulation) noise is reported. The new method utilizes a dual channel microwave downconverter and a 16-bit high-speed digitizer to directly sample the IF allowing digital demodulation of AM and PM noise simultaneously. A prototype AM/PM noise measurement system has been built with...
The increasing difficultly of developing modern test systems is compounded by shortened development times and exponentially more complex devices under test. The fundamental need for connectivity to a wide variety of hardware has not changed, but test engineers often find themselves building systems without the final hardware and without access to the actual device that will be tested. This need for...
Effective automated test equipment is built upon the idea of abstracted layers to provide a flexible, robust, and comprehensive test environment. The layers must be plentiful and each one offer abstracted abilities of lower layers. In addition, if a layer is absent, the lack of that layer must not disrupt the ability to use lower ones; a layer must be independent of any higher (observer) layers. This...
A brief review of some issues seen in the replacement of older special production equipment with COTS will be given followed by an in-depth analysis of the rehost of an older program to a new station, the issues found after it was fielded, and an analysis of what the issues were and a solution from the engineering and managerial viewpoints.
Modern day test and control systems are growing larger, more complex and more intricate. Most of these intricacies are in order to address new challenges such as the need for higher speed, higher channel-count data acquisition and generation and on-line data processing. These new test, measurement and control systems need to address these needs while still having to provide other features such as...
Linux®-based ATEs are susceptible to obsolescence due to quickly changing kernel versions and varying distribution support between hardware and software vendors. This paper explains how virtualization technology can help mitigate the risk of obsolescence and reduce maintenance costs in Linux-based ATEs by running multiple operating systems simultaneously on one controller.
The United States Marine Corps has recently completed a prototype of the Common Streamlined Standalone Electro-Optical Tester (Common EO). The primary goal of the design of the prototype Common EO is to provide the USMC with a tester that can perform Go/No-Go testing on a select set of electro-optical (EO) systems such as visible and infrared systems. This paper will summarize the capabilities of...
Particular problems can occur for frequency synthesizers under vibration and temperature. These effects will be outlined for providing margin to prevent failures. Phase noise, noise figure, and spectrum analysis tools are applied with vibration tables and thermal chambers. Particular focus is given to frequency synthesizers whose oscillators are most susceptible to environmental effects.
Today's fast paced world of ever changing Commercial-Of-The-Shelf (COTS) hardware and software architectures creates a quandary in that the end-user must be cognizant of these effects on their own legacy based system when embracing a new design. The advantages of moving to a newer and sleeker system surely outweigh the complexities of attempting to maintain an older system especially when obsolescence...
We describe the conclusions of a technology and communities survey supported by concurrent and follow-on proof-of-concept prototyping to evaluate feasibility of defining a durable, versatile, reliable, visible software interface to support strategic modularization of test software development. The objective is that test sets and support software with diverse origins, ages, and abilities can be reliably...
Over the past few decades, the ANSI C language has become one of the most popular test and measurement programming languages due to its power and flexibility. ANSI C applications can be optimized for improved performance because of the developer's ability to have low level control through direct access to memory and hardware specific function calls. Although the ANSI C language provides low level...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.