Industry ready Test and Measurement Solutions are revolutionizing the strategic areas of Aerospace & Defence sectors which will surely be an asset to the Indian Army, Navy and Air force.
Indian industry today is on the threshold of entering into a new era where it will assume greater responsibility in making the nation self-reliant in Defence Production. The resurgence of India’s manufacturing sector has been remarkable. Not only are the profits soaring, the sector is also making its presence felt abroad as many Indian firms are becoming transnational companies.
The Indian manufacturing sector is internationally competitive with international quality standards, efficiency and manufacturing facilities. India is fast developing into a manufacturing hub for world corporations wanting to leverage the sector’s proven skills in product design, reconfiguration and customization with creativity, assured quality and value addition.
India, also keen to strengthen its own aerospace industry and has asked major weapon exporting countries to transfer technology to India.
A&D Test and Measurement Industry Outlook
The increase in indigenous design and manufacturing of aerospace and defence systems has resulted in a rise in the demand for high-performance, state-of-the-art test and measurement equipment.
Applications requiring test and measurement expertise for aerospace, defence, and government entities need to be robust, support long system life cycles, and rely on dependable as well as accurate systems. Each component, subsystem, and full system must be validated and tested in order to provide a safe and reliable test system.
Following are some of the key drivers fueling global A&D T&M growth described by Mr. Mike Farleigh of Aeroflex :
Within the commercial sector:
- Aging airline fleet replacement and mandated test requirements by aerospace authorities such as the FAA in the U.S.
- With increased passenger travel demand, comes an increase in air traffic density, which drives new requirement to assure airspace safety.
- The SESAR program in Europe FAA Next Gen program in America’s new Aircraft Traffic Management systems are moving toward 4D trajectory based flight, which drives requirements for new test and measurement, along with other added and improved capability for Mode S transponders such as ADS-B and UAT.
Within the Military sector:
- Equipment replacement opportunities that demonstrate cost and logistical savings are key demand drivers.
- Like the commercial sector, safety is always a priority. With the implementation of Mode 5 IFF (Identify Friend of Foe), technology creates demand for test and measurement to assure flight safety and the safety of the war fighter.
According to Mr. Madhukar Tripathi of Anritsu, “Roll out of Optical fiber based communication network, Modernization of legacy communication network and research on new technologies is driving T&M business especially Optical solutions. Continued thrust by the government in enhancing the Internal Security and indigenisation of the Defence Aeronautics are driving the RF and Microwave T&M requirements.”
Aerospace & Defence Testing Requirements
The Aerospace and Defence Industry is at the forefront of development using cutting edge technology to ensure relevancy and ability to secure countries safety and survival. The aerospace and defense (A&D) industry is a significant end-user industry for test and measurement (T&M) equipment, particularly general purpose test and measurement equipment.
The Aerospace/Defence industry presents the toughest electronic testing requirements. Many factors must be taken in consideration when developing a test system for this sector; these include the characteristics of the Device Under Test (DUT), test coverage, the resource available and the overall budget. An ideal test system for the Aerospace/Defence should be reliable, flexible, and most of all be able to withstand extreme conditions such as stringent shock, vibration and wide operating temperature ranges; finally the system must be future-proof.
“Aerospace and Defence system need highly accurate, robust and stable test & measurement solutions. Any T&M for Defence should be able to work at extreme high temperature and low temperatures& under highly humid conditions. Defence ATE are very special and need lot of customized system integration work.
T&M for field use should be highly ESD protected and have good quality display. Since T&M might be used in day time under sun or during night where there is no power or light”, says Mr. Mr. Madhukar Tripathi of Anritsu.
The Aerospace/Defence industry has some of the most challenging electronic testing requirements; ideal test equipment must deliver the same level of technology found in any industry, but also function accurately in environments with some of the most stringent shock, vibration and wide operating temperature ranges, add to this the requirements for absolute reliability in certain safety features, plus the ever necessary cost of ownership issues. Modular instrumentations as such PXI, cPCI, VXI and LXI from are specifically designed to address special requirements for the Aerospace and Defence Industries.
Mr. Mike of Aeroflex mentions, “To keep pace with today’s advanced systems and key drivers, Aeroflex’s semi-automated or fully automated test systems leverage the use of PXI-based technology for flexible configuration, allowing support of a wide range of avionic systems on a single platform. The development of these test systems stems directly from customer trends advocating the automation of systems test versus manual manipulation of stand-alone, single function test sets that are historically used.
The use of IQ based waveform generation, wideband digitizers and synthesizers is commonplace throughout these products. Use of our own test Executive, THORsi, ensures a stable environment from which to run software test programs tailored for specific LRU variants. THORsi allows individual tests to be edited and ordered and also provides cyclic run modes for intermittent fault capture. Results storage and print out facilities are also provided. Digital and analog interface cards complete the control and monitoring requirements, via dedicated Interface cables/adapters.”
Challenges and Solutions
According to Mr. Madhukar Tripathi of Anritsu, “Buying process in Defence and Aerospace is typically very long and this has impact on delivery- execution -performance. Indian Defence establishments are geographically spread wide across the country and this sees huge variation in temperature& humidity etc which brings in increased challenges to the T&M solutions. So to keep the communication networks running 24×7 in these areas are really challenging. Defence Communications need special attention on customization. Many Test instruments are integrated for mission critical application.”
“Cooperation and teaming with the airborne equipment OEM’s is essential, to ensure we can deliver an approved test solution, that the end user can rely on,” says Mr. Mike of Aeroflex .
Anritsu products meet MIL grade requirement and are having NATO number. Few most popular products used in Defence & Aerospace Industry are listed under.
- Vector Star: This is bench top Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) having wide frequency range, dynamic range and very user friendly GUI. VectorStar™ uses Non-Linear Transmission Line (NLTL) harmonic samplers for better dynamic range. NLTL technology offers a higher comb frequency with less drop off in higher frequency performance. Results in excellent dynamic range at 70 GHz and beyond without the need for large amplification. Fewer amplifiers results in better stability.
The VectorStar™ family is Anritsu’s Premium VNA line, providing the highest overall performance on a modern platform. PulseView™, when combined with the innovative IF digitizing option, offers industry-leading 2.5 ns pulse resolution and 100 dB dynamic range with no compromises or trade-offs due to varying duty cycles. DifferentialView™, when combined with the dual internal source option, offers real time display analysis of differential devices, drivers, and components while actively modifying phase and magnitude relationships of the internal dual sources.
Pulse VIEW (Software feature of Vector Star) is very useful software developed specifically for Defence – RADAR applications.
VNA Master™: Hand held Vector Network Analyzer are used in the field for measurement of all passive devices used in communication system like filer, antenna, coupler, splitters etc. These are battery operated and having wide variety of display. Specs are best in class and guaranteed. These hand held battery operated VNA can be taken in Aircraft cabin or at ship or on RADAR. They help in quickly identification and testing of faulty components.
Synthesised Signal Generator: Anritsu Signal Generators are high phase Noise specs which are very useful for RADAR R&D. Doublet, Triplet, Quadralet pulses can be generated which helps in simulation of RADAR signals.
Spectrum Master™: Anritsu provides handheld Battery operated Spectrum Analyzer which is very useful for field use. Spectrum Master help in knowing Friend & Foe frequency, identification of signals, help in interference testing & continuous monitoring of own network.
Power Meters & Sensors: USB based power Sensors are used for power measurement in field. RF Power Meters are used for power measurement of RADAR, Transmitter in Base Repair Depot.
Shockline VNA: This is Anritsu latest VNA based on NTTL technology. The new series of the VNA is very useful for production testing. The MS46322A are all 2-port VNAs packaged in a compact and rugged 2U chassis. The entire series has 220 microseconds per point sweep speed, and better than 100 dB dynamic range to 40 GHz, making it suitable for testing passive devices in engineering, manufacturing and cost-sensitive education applications.
RF and Microwave Passive Component Testing and Troubleshooting
- RF and automotive connectors and cables
- Electromechanical switches
- Attenuators
- Couplers
- Filters
- Isolators
- Circulators
- Phase Shifters
System Integration Applications
- System Calibration
- Path-loss Characterization
- General s-parameters and time domain measurements
Aeroflex supports the Aerospace and Defence test and measurement industry with multiple products from a quick go/no go pre-flight check, to providing test instruments in engineering labs supporting the development of new technologies. Our new ramp test sets address modern, customer driven, testing trends such as performing more tests in a ramp environment as opposed to a back shop, eliminating unnecessary LRU removals or No Fault Found issues and increasing revenue generation by improving mission readiness
Transponder Testing
Aeroflex has a broad offering of transponder test capability serving flightline, shop, engineering and factory requirements in both commercial and military markets.
The IFR-6000 is our commercial flight line transponder test set for modes A/C/S, 1090 MHz ADS-B and 978 MHz UAT, TCAS I/II and DME.
For military applications, the IFR-6015 adds TACAN test capability.
Radio Altimeter Testing
The Aeroflex ALT-8000 and ALT-8015 utilizes a cost effective electronic processed delay to test installed FMCW, CDF and pulse radio altimeters. Historically, altimeter testing was performed in an avionics lab or back shop environment which necessitated removal of a suspect LRU from the aircraft. Altimeter testing used to also be OEM specific, which single function test sets, designed for specific OEM altimeters. This required excessive aircraft operator investment in multiple altimeter test sets if that operator happened to own altimeters provided by multiple vendors. The ALT-8000 product eliminates this time consuming and costly test process by allowing an operator to test altimeter performance on the ramp, on the aircraft when a problem is reported and regardless of OEM type of LRU. Streamlining that historical test process can directly result in less aircraft lost time and less test asset investment.
GPS Simulation
The GPSG-1000 is a 12 channel portable multi constellation GNSS simulator supporting L1 C/A code, L2 pseudo P(Y) code, L1C, L2C L5 SoL , SBAS(WAAS/EGNOS) and other carriers. The GPSG-1000 improves on less efficient test methodologies used traditionally.
For a full listing of all our products supporting Aerospace and Defense test and measurement, visit ats.aeroflex.com.
Mission will be successful with Keysight Technologies Aerospace/Defense Solutions
Focus Where It Counts
Missions evolve but one thing stays the same: the need to protect those who go in harm’s way. The success of that effort depends on a changing mix of people and technology. As system technology becomes more complex, assuring readiness gets tougher. Keysight is a source of assurance that the mission will succeed. Through Keysight’s expertise in testing, we give our aerospace/defense customers more time for the bigger issues: fulfilling today’s mission and managing the transition to what comes next. By helping build greater assurance in system readiness, Keysight frees you to focus where it counts most.
About Keysight in India and Its Affiliation with A/D Industry
Keysight has a long and storied presence in Aerospace/Defense around the world and in India. We estimate our installed base of equipment to be larger than all of our competition put together. Within the Aerospace/Defense industry, Keysight is known as a leader in measurement science and recognized for having a broad range of COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) measurement products than any of our competitors.
Keysight’s broad offering of instrumentation, software and services supports crucial needs in the following key application and usage areas:
Keep pace with the latest in Radar and Electronic Warfare
As technology evolves, so do the challenges in detection, avoidance, electronic warfare (EW) and countermeasures. In all cases, the testing of today’s systems will benefit from high-performance test equipment and EDA solutions.
Ensure interoperability of your Military Communication systems
To meet present and future mission requirements, the countless unique radios of the past are giving way to compatible, software-defined digital systems that ensure easy interoperability. From dynamic probing inside an FPGA to testing digital IF and IQ, from manufacturing test to operational troubleshooting, Keysight can help you ensure system readiness.
Test and verify Satellite guidance, payloads and communications
Design and validation tools from Keysight provide greater assurance that satellites and subsystems will work first time, every time for the duration of the mission.
Ensure the accuracy and reliability of your Avionics, Guidance, and Navigation Systems
Whether you’re testing to achieve regulatory certification or meet demanding system specifications, solutions from Keysight enable extensive testing of the systems that ensure safe, successful journeys.
Achieve faster detection, assessment and response – Surveillance and Intelligence
Whether the mission is intercept and collect, detect and eradicate, monitor and track, or trend and analyze, our diverse technology base — and deep familiarity with wireless communications —gives you a meaningful edge.
Maximize system longevity with versatile choices in ATE
From LAN and Web to LXI-based synthetic instruments, our approach to ATE is designed to maximize system longevity and productivity.
Enable rapid identification of faulty subsystems – Operational Tests
The versatility of our handheld and portable instruments accelerates troubleshooting at the O-level and provides insights that help I-level and depot-level teams quickly pinpoint failed modules and components.
Design and Test Platforms that span the entire Aerospace and Defense Market
Network analyzers
Keysight provides premier network analyzers in the market, ranging from handheld models to mm-wave instruments. From 5 Hz to 1.05THz, choose from a growing selection of RF and Microwave network analyzers to measure S-parameters, insertion loss, gain, return loss, balanced parameters, differential measurements, compression, distortion, and noise figure.
Spectrum and signal analyzers
Keysight’sspectrum and signal analyzers include an extensive array of products, from DC to 325 GHz and beyond, designed to accurately measure frequency, amplitude, and modulation, including distortion, spurious, phase noise, and 2G to 4G wireless communications signals.
Signal generators
Keysight offers the widest selection of baseband, RF, and microwave signal generator products from baseband to 67 GHz, with frequency extensions to 500 GHz. Signal generator offerings range from basic to advanced functionality; each delivers benchmark performance in its class to address your signal source requirements.
Oscilloscopes
Keysight offers a complete line of oscilloscopes optimized to your test needs, from handheld units to high-performance oscilloscopes and mixed signal scopes. Our platforms range from USB-modular units to high performance real-time and sampling oscilloscopes, with bandwidths from 20 MHz to more than 90 GHz.
Logic Analyzers
Keysight’s logic analyzers minimize your project risk by providing the most reliable, accurate data capture and the most complete view of digital system behavior. A comprehensive family of products offers a variety of form factors, acquisition speeds, memory depths, channel counts, and application-specific analysis and protocol tools to create a solution that will meet your toughest digital debug needs.
Modular instrumentation
For data acquisition or automated test applications, Keysight’s modular instrumentation is an extension of our measurement expertise into modular form factors. Keysight provides a portfolio of modular devices to fit your diverse needs: from cost-sensitive test requirements to high-performance applications that need increased signal density and high-speed switching.
General-purpose instruments
Our broad selection of bench-friendly and system-ready power supplies can meet your testing challenges—from basic to complex —with a wealth of available capabilities.
Keysight’s digital multimeters lead the industry in speed and accuracy and have a proven track record for reliability. Our digital multimeters offer exceptional performance and ease of use provided by intuitive front panels and standards-based programming interfaces. From a bench top to a test rack to a handheld, there’s an Keysight digital multimeter that’s right for the job.
Keysight arbitrary waveform generators provide both wide bandwidth and outstanding signal quality to fit your electronic testing needs. From complex signal to simple waveforms, there is anKeysight function generator that is right for the job.
Keysight offers a broad family of frequency counters and counter/timers. Frequency counters are used throughout many technical industries for measuring and analyzing frequency, phase, and time-interval signal characteristics. The breadth of the Keysight offering allows the best product to be selected for each application.
Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Software
Keysight EEs of EDA is the leading supplier of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software for communications product design. Microwave and RF circuit, high-speed, device modeling, and signal-processing design engineers accelerate the development of better products using design flows built on our device modeling, electro-thermal, electromagnetic, circuit and system design and simulation tools.
In-circuit/parametric test
Keysight offers leading board test solutions for electronics manufacturers to tackle a wide range of PCBA test access and coverage issues for today’s complex printed circuit assemblies.
