Base-Level Engineering Test Support Equipment
In times of conflict, it is critical that our air crews have functioning electronic warfare equipment aboard their aircraft. Fault detection, isolation, and repair testing will no longer be tied to intermediate maintenance locations in the United States. Support equipment used to perform this testing must therefore be deployed where it's needed most -- near the battle zone.
Based on Northrop Grumman's design of the original Base-Level Engineering Test Support Equipment (BETSE), the BETSE Reliability Improvement and Test Enhancement (BRITE) test set now provides U.S. Air Force maintenance personnel with a test execution test set that is deployable, reliable, and easily maintained. The AN/GSM-382(V)2 BRITE provides an improvement in line replaceable unit (LRU) test through-put as a result of increased tester processor speed and automated operations.
The original BETSE test set provides interim support for the AN/ALR-62(V)6 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) at CONUS bases. By modifying the current BETSE test sets, the user can achieve increased test capability and improved reliability and maintainability. This has resulted in a long-term intermediate and depot level support for the RWR suite.
The modified test set, BRITE, provides both standalone LRU testing and complete system testing. Standalone testing is also provided for the AN/ALR-62(V)4 digital processor hosted on the EF-111A aircraft.
BRITE's testing approach expands upon BETSE's capability as a system test bed. The BETSE design created a system test bed in which the actual LRUs are configured similarly to their installation on the F-111E/F aircraft. BRITE provides all of BETSE's capability in addition to stand-alone LRU test capability. The system test capability reduces the number of re-test okay (RTOK) and cannot duplicate (CND) incident reports generated by the maintenance organization for returned repairable items.
Deployment/Upgrades
By incorporating a fully ruggedized equipment enclosure and selected ruggedized subsystems, BRITE is fully deployable. The application of the latest industry standard VME/VXI architecture provides for future upgrades with even more advanced commercial off-the-shelf VME/VXI products. Additional protocols, including IEEE-488 buses and a 1553 bus, provides communications to several Northrop Grumman-developed LRU interface boards, to the test instruments, and to the LRUs.
Test Time
Test time has been minimized by use of software controlled test instruments which allow for rapid application of test stimuli and automated analysis of test results. In addition, the BRITE system allows the test station operator to begin fault detection and/or isolation testing in any fault area without having to start at the "top" of the LRU fault tree. Selection of starting tests is particularly useful once predominate failure modes of each LRU have been identified.
BRITE also houses a Northrop Grumman-developed synthesizer and distribution matrix that permits radio frequency testing with increased power and accuracy, special pulse forming, and automated routing of repeatable stimuli to multiple ports.
Operator Aids
BRITE has a diagnostic capability to allow operator visibility into test execution; a point-and-click user interface for faster operation and training; on-line display of technical order failed item remove and replaceinstructions/applicable illustrated parts breakdown; and on-station instrument calibration. The BRITE test software combines all test parameters into a data base that maximizes test parameters reprogrammability response.
BRITE Performance Summary
High performance, deployable, automatic tester that provides reliable (>90 percent) fault detection, isolation, and repair of avionics LRUs. Hot mock-up system test bed that provides LRU operational confidence and reduces the number of RTOK/CND reports. Test diagnostics with an ability to create LRU tests in real-time, as well as providing for test station self-test. Inherently reliable, flexible, and upgradeable industry standard VME, VXI, and IEEE-488 architectures. Reprogrammable data base-driven test software. On-line technical order display that provides a "paper-less" test order environment.
For further information, contact Sudi Bruni.