Sustainment of legacy automatic test systems: lessons learned on TPS transportability

Sustainment of legacy automatic test systems (ATS) saves cost through the re-use of software and hardware. The ATS consists of the automatic test equipment (ATE), the test program sets (TPSs), and associated software. The associated software includes the architecture the TPSs run on, known as the control software or test station test executive. In some cases, to sustain the legacy ATS, it is more practical to develop a replacement ATE with the latest instrumentation, often in the form of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software. The existing TPSs, including their hardware and test programs, then need to be transported, or translated, to the new test station. In order to understand how to sustain a legacy ATS by translating TPSs, one must realize the full architecture of the legacy ATS to be replaced. It must be understood that TPS transportability does not only include translating the original TPS from an existing language (such as ATLAS) to a new language (such as "C") to run on a new test station, but includes transporting the run-time environment created by the legacy ATS. This paper examines the similarities and differences of legacy ATE and modern COTS ATE architectures, how the ATS testing philosophy impacts the ease of TPS transportability from legacy ATE to modern-day platforms, and what SEI has done to address the issues that arise out of TPS transportability.     

民机航向道信标接收功能定量评估方法研究

针对民用飞机仪表着陆系统（ILS）航向道信标（LOC）接收功能试飞中机载LOC接收功能定量评估存在困难的问题，通过对LOC基本工作原理和机场LOC地面台信号的分析，并结合机场LOC地面台的飞行校验方法和校验结果，将试飞使用跑道LOC地面台本身存在的误差以及飞行校验的设备误差纳入考量，结合民用飞机机载LOC系统试飞科目的试飞方法和试飞内容，以相应系统规范的精度要求为依据，分为“飞机沿航向道飞行”和“飞机与航向道成夹角飞行”两种情况，制定出了一套现实可行的机载LOC接收功能定量评估方法。此外，用实际的试飞数据验证了该套方法的正确性和科学性，可作为目前国内仅作定性评估的有力补充和支撑，并且可为类似的系统提供定量功能评估思路、方法及验证路径的参考。     

靶场GNSS增强、监测与评估系统建设构想

针对靶场GNSS（全球导航卫星系统）增强、监测与评估的测量精度和可靠性保障、异常分析和电磁环境监测等复杂技术需求,明确了靶场GNSS增强、监测与评估的概念,分析了各类方法的特点,确定了以大范围基准站网为主干,采用广域差分增强和地面完好性通道监测满足提高测量精度和可靠性主要需求,采用车载信号监测和干扰监测一体化系统满足不同区域间发的异常分析和电磁环境监测需求的技术路线.设计了系统体系架构,重点分析了系统实时工作模式和数据处理流程,为系统建设提供了有益的参考.     

8米×6米风洞TPS反推力试验技术

TPS(涡扇动力模拟器)试验技术是风洞中模拟发动机反推力状态最有效的手段.开展反推力试验的目的是获得反推力发动机对飞机气动特性的影响,确定反推力发动机的再吸入速度边界.为满足我国大飞机研制的试验技术需求,中国空气动力研究与发展中心在8米×6米风洞发展了全模TPS反推力试验技术.自主研制了TPS反推力试验专用的高精度六分量杆式应变天平、大流量空气桥和流量控制单元、TPS监视报警系统、数据采集系统、综合显示系统等TPS反推力试验系统,制定了试验模拟准则、试验流程和试验方法,建立了完善的全模TPS反推力试验技术.利用TPS反推力试验技术,开展了国内首期全模TPS反推力风洞试验,研究了某型飞机反推力发动机的再吸入特性,获得了反推力发动机的再吸入速度边界.     

基于任务的硬式加油伸缩管操纵品质研究

操纵品质是评价和设计硬式空中加油伸缩管的重要指标,但目前尚未有系统性的评价伸缩管操纵品质的方法和结论。为了解决现有投入使用的伸缩管型号较少即用于品质研究的样本不足的问题,在对伸缩管本体特性进行分析之后,引入了可以通过改变参考模型参数而获得不同闭环响应特性的控制系统。结合伸缩管的任务特性,设计了在空中加油模拟器上完成的操纵品质试验,并采用主观以及客观两方面的评定手段对具有不同闭环响应特性的评定样本进行了操纵品质评定,从而建立了基于任务的伸缩管操纵品质评定方法。最后,利用低阶等效拟配方法获得了伸缩管的低阶等效参数,通过对多个样本的低阶等效参数与任务评定结果进行统计分析得到了伸缩管俯仰轴和偏航轴的操纵品质等级边界,从而完成伸缩管操纵品质要求的研究。建立的评定方法和操纵品质要求可以作为指导伸缩管设计与评定的理论依据。     

载人月球探测深空站布局体系

针对载人月球探测,在我国现有深空测控资源的基础上,结合其他航天组织,如NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration,美国国家航空航天局)、ESA(European Space Agency,欧空局)等分布在全球的深空测控资源,提出了全球深空站布局体系.该体系包括我国深空站在内的8个地面站,大体形成“南四北四,均匀分布”的格局.并以美国“重返月球”计划深空站布局为参照,对比分析了布局体系的测控覆盖、三向测量和干涉测量共视弧段,讨论了布局干涉测量不同观测站三角的测角精度,可以为后续载人月球探测任务提供支持和参考.     

The World Wide Web leads a revolution in ATE programmingenvironments

New software technologies, including the World Wide Web, may seem far removed from the tasks facing test program set (TPS) developers, but they promise to revolutionize the way TPS data is organized, presented, and used. This paper will describe how an integrated TPS development and execution environment can capitalize on these new technologies to improve test programming efficiency     

Collaborative testing & support via the Internet

The Internet and its current infrastructure provide many opportunities to exploit improved electronics testing by increasing collaboration among individuals worldwide. This paper proposes several ways to take advantage of the ubiquitous Internet infrastructure, its applications, and increasing network bandwidth to better share knowledge between engineering and test technicians, and to build and maintain a network of knowledge sharing among test and maintenance technicians in geographically separated units. Current Internet infrastructure applications that are available and being used in an ad hoc manner are email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and remote control of PCs. These applications can be used by the military to integrate and enhance communications methods and improve the sharing of data as well as remote control of automatic test equipment by engineers providing diagnostic assistance. Knowledge management techniques will be exploited to provide capture of and better access to "head knowledge" which typically stays within an individual technician or engineer. Collection of repair and test data in real-time from geographically dispersed locations can be implemented via the Internet. Engineering can be more responsive in updating TPS software by having more information and, in turn, distribute the updates via the Internet by providing access to a secure server.     

Smart BIT: a plan for intelligent built-in test

A major factor influencing the readiness of today's highly electronics-driven weapons systems is the amount of time spent maintaining them. The attainment of a better understanding of the causes for intermittent and other ill-defined failure modes and development of a greater appreciation for the effect of both external and internal environmental factors on the fault behavior of electronic systems will help to improve the BIT (built-in test) performance. Smart BIT is the name applied to a program of research and development sponsored by Rome Air Development Center (RADC) to investigate, develop, and apply artificial-intelligence (AI) techniques to effect BIT improvement. An overview of that program, its contents and purposes is provided. Deficiencies in current BIT implementations and potential benefits of the Smart BIT program are presented. Components of this approach are discussed and supporting technology areas highlighted. The current plan for implementing this approach is given along with a scenario describing its potential form     

Software architecture requirements for DoD automatic test systems

The DoD has achieved success with recent automatic test equipment (ATE) families, as evidenced by the navy's consolidated automated support system (CASS) and the army's integrated family of test equipment (IFTE) programs. However, as these systems age, the increased requirements for technology insertion due to instrument obsolescence and the demands of advanced electronics are becoming evident. Recent advances in test technology promise to yield reduced total ownership costs (TOC) for ATE which can incorporate the new technology. The DoD automatic test system (ATS) executive agent office (EAO) objective is to significantly reduce total ownership cost. Several objectives have been identified including use of synthetic instruments, support for legacy test product sets (TPSs), and more efficient ways of developing TPSs. The NxTest software architecture will meet the objectives by providing an open systems approach to the system software. This will allow for the incorporation of commercial applications in the TPS development and execution environments and support current advances in test technology     

Network centric interoperability - using a variable message format (VMF) based data-link to improve situational awareness and close air support (CAS)

Clearly demonstrated in the recent military deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, one of the most significant challenges now facing the warfighter is how to seamlessly interface the myriad of disparate stand-alone situational awareness (SA) and close air support (CAS) systems into the DoD's Network Centric Warfare (NCW) infrastructure. This point was recently highlighted in the Secretary of Defense's testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Referring to mission critical shortfalls that occurred during the IRAQ deployment, the Secretary discussed the state of the current warfighting environment (Rumsfeld and Franks, 2003). Although tremendous progress has been made in the integration of new and emerging technologies and their applications on the battlefield, there is still a significant lack of interoperability between various communication systems. To address these battlespace management environment issues, Raytheon Technical Services Company's Engineering and Production Support facility underwent a product development effort to provide a network centric interoperability demonstration for CAS. This demonstration utilized various Raytheon-fielded SA and CAS products in a representative CAS scenario interfacing to variable message format (VMF) based data links. This paper addresses the systems and software issues encountered during this successful demonstration of CAS battlespace connectivity. This presentation will also discuss lessons learned during our product development from both a systems and a software engineering perspective.     

基于智能传感器的浮空器数据采集系统研究及应用

实验浮空器囊体内部超热情况,研制了一套基于智能传感器的数据采集系统,介绍了系统组成和温度、压力传感器等硬件,详细描述了系统软件设计情况。相比于传统人工观察记录的方法,该数据采集系统可实现无人值守传感器数据采集与记录,大大提高了实验自动化水平,降低了实验人员劳动强度。     

重复使用金属热防护系统研究进展

综述了金属热防护系统的国外研究最新进展,重点介绍了国内相关研究和试验的最新情况.指出金属热防护系统仍是下一代重复使用运载器大面积表面热防护系统的优选方案之一.     

An alternative to traditional software rehosting

This paper describes one alternative to rehosting TPS software to newer computer platforms. It describes the solution that Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) used to solve a problem with re-engineering legacy software into a modern object-oriented language. The advantages gained by this method are more advanced instruction to the operator (such as pictures and movies), flexible reporting scheme to diagnose system problems, and ease of software maintenance. This solution uses commercially available products including National Instruments/spl trade/ TestStand/spl trade/ and LabVIEW/spl trade/ and Microsoft/spl reg/ Visual Basic/spl reg/. The system is a four-tiered architecture to drive all test execution. The user interface is written in Visual Basic and allows the user to interact with the test execution when needed. This user interface in turn calls tests that are written in TestStand, and finally the individual tests call driver functions written in LabVIEW. A database serves as a repository for all test results, displays, and test limits. The use of this database allows for easy querying of measurement data to analyze trends in failures that help diagnose specific problems. By using this database, all test limits and test displays are contained in one central location that enables engineers to change these displays and limits on the fly without needing to change or even understand any test code. One other benefit of this data containment is that all Government classified data is separated out of the code and stored as one file, instead of in various locations as it was in the original source code.     

航空发动机控制系统半物理模拟试验的应用

半物理模拟试验在发动机控制系统研发中发挥着重要作用,然而鲜有文献对国内外半物理模拟试验的应用情况、技术特征进行总结提炼。结合科研实践和相关文献,分析了航空发动机控制系统开展半物理模拟试验的必要性、控制系统的复杂性和国外标准规范要求开展半物理模拟试验的必须性,介绍了半物理模拟试验的基本组成和原理,回顾了国外半物理模拟试验的开展情况,并对国内半物理模拟试验在科研、批产过程中的应用进行说明。结合工程实践和国外研究成果,总结了半物理模拟试验环境的关键技术,指出了半物理模拟试验技术深化的方向。     

航空发动机闭环辨识研究

 本文介绍了在航空发动机闭环控制系统的反馈通路上施加伪随机试验信号时,对发动机模型参数进行辨识的方法。同时还介绍了对辨识试验所录取信号的相关分析与谱分析,以此来证明所录取信号的正确性。在用Hsia法进行辨识处理后得到了发动机的数学模型。最后通过对模型的验证表明辫识结果是满意的。     

Digital Computation Makes AFCS More Reliable

In airline service the reliability of a system is more than the confirmed failures for the system; it is the total removal experience of the system. Thus, the reliability of a system lies not only in the piece part failure rates, but also in the capability to verify and isolate failures. The application of digital technology brings several significant reliability improvements to automatic flight control systems (AFCS) when compared to contemporary analog systems. These advantages are demonstrated by the experience of the digital air data computer (DADC) of the DC-10 and the digital AFCS of the JA-37 Viggen. Experience with this equipment is reviewed, and the results are interpreted in terms of projections for airline DAFCS reliability. The digital system built-in test implemented by a stored program and the central processor gives a system integrity and dispatch reliability unequaled by analog systems. This high-integrity self-test reduces removal rates by giving line personnel a trustworthy tool and more complete automatic test processes for verifying maintenance actions. Digital circuit technology is directly suitable to largescale integrated circuits (LSIC) which reduce piece part counts and improve LRU reliability. Digital circuits are less subject to drift and the attendant difficulty to detect failures. These factors, coupled with the inherent high-integrity self-test, provide the basis for a significant improvement in reliability by the use of a digital automatic flight control system.     

某型涡扇发动机试车台计算机数采及自动试车系统设计

介绍了所研制的航空发动机生产、维修交付试车台的试车数据计算机采集及闭环自动程序试车系统的总体结构,系统所达到的主要技术指标及功能。对测、控系统的双层微机结构,试车台闭环自动试车采用的控制方法。      

金属热防护系统边缘热短路研究

研究了金属热防护系统(TPS)的缝隙辐射及支架两大热短路问题。通过数值计算分析了缝隙宽度和缝隙辐射率对热短路的影响,完成了整体样件以及阵列组合件的稳态传热实验测试,定量地研究了热短路的影响情况。实验结果显示:支架处热短路现象明显,实验中支架引发的热短路温差高达50K;在773K以下,缝隙传热引发的温升随着缝隙宽度的增加而线性增加;在773K以上,辐射热传导在缝隙宽度超过3mm时即成为内部传热的主导机制,这时缝隙传热引发的温升不再随宽度增加而线性递增。所提供的数值分析和实验方法可为金属热防护系统的分析与设计提供重要的参考价值。     

Using built-in-test to reduce TPS run times and improve TPSreliability

This paper addresses using information derived from Built-in-Test (BIT) to fault diagnose Units Under Test (UUTs), wherever possible. This philosophic approach to diagnostic testing is not new. It has been studied over the past 20 years under the visor of “Integrated Diagnostics”, but it has yet to be truly implemented in a “real life” military diagnostic test environment. The mindset of Test Program Set design engineering, along with customer and contractor management alike, remains “complete diagnostic testing based upon single catastrophic component failure modes”. If we are to generate cost efficient Test Program Sets (TPSs) under reduced military budget constraints, this will have to change! The test engineer must be encouraged to use methodologies to speed up development time and decrease TPS run times. Using present technology, this is possible now, and as the technology matures, will become a truly viable approach in the future. For the purpose of this paper, the author relies heavily on his extensive US Navy Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) and Test Program Set (TPS) experience, as well as on previous studies performed on using BIT to fault diagnose Unit Under Test failures on US Naval Air weapon systems