Automatic Test Equipment Development

Automatic Test Equipment Development is a research and development initiative within the Army's System Development & Demonstration (SDD) budget activity. The program aims to develop and test automatic test equipment, precision calibration instruments, and general-purpose test equipment to support the increasingly complex electronic components of the Army's new and upgraded weapon systems. It focuses on standardizing and implementing commercial test and diagnostic technologies across multiple weapon platforms to minimize the cost of troubleshooting and maintenance in the field. The program also supports the modernization of test equipment fleets by investigating technology insertions, including predictive and prognostic maintenance, instrument reduction/miniaturization, and calibration support capabilities for various emerging technologies.

The project under PE 0604746A, titled L59: Diagnost/Expert Sys, specifically funds the development of system enhancements for the Maintenance Support Device (MSD), a general-purpose automatic test system that provides test and diagnostic capabilities required to support current and future weapons and combat support systems. This project aims to insert the most current relevant technology into the next generation MSD, enhance at-platform test adapters, develop diagnostic capabilities to minimize Army dependence on expensive proprietary software for tactical vehicles, and maintain compatibility with emerging platform hardware bus technology and software interface requirements. Additionally, it funds the development of Intermittent Fault Detection (IFD) testers to aid in identifying intermittent faults in difficult-to-troubleshoot platforms, mitigate No Evidence of Failures (NEOF), reduce unnecessary line replaceable unit requisitions, and improve unit operational readiness in support of multi-domain operations.

Overall, these initiatives aim to ensure the operational readiness, accuracy, and effectiveness of the Army's warfighting systems by providing state-of-the-art test and diagnostic capabilities while reducing costs and logistics footprints.