Designing an open test software architecture featuring Lockheed Martin LM-STAR/spl reg/ case study

Nearly all of the automated test systems developed today are required to integrate with or at a minimum support the existing tests and test systems deployed in the depot and field. This involves supporting a wide range of tests developed in a variety of modern and legacy test development languages including LabWindows/CVI, LabVIEW, C/C++, Visual Basic, ATLAS, TCL, and HT-BASIC. The convergence of functionality across products and organizations for joint development and feature sets is also driving the movement towards highly reconfigurable test systems that are capable of adapting to multiple configurations. In addition, the convergence of products and functionality is also changing the development landscape to large contracts involving multiple suppliers working together to concurrently develop tests. Lastly, new test schemas, such as Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML), for defining test routines and results data in XML format are of growing concern to many test engineers regarding the integration of this technology among existing and new test systems. Each of these challenges emphasizes the need for an open test software architecture in next generation test systems that is capable of supporting tests developed in any test language, delivering a highly adaptable test architecture for multiple configurations, support for concurrent test development across multiple suppliers, and rapid insertion of new technologies such as ATML. This paper discusses the benefits of creating an open test software architecture and the latest test management software tools for designing an open test software architecture to meet each of these needs. The paper also features a case study of the recent Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training, & Support (LM STS) LM-STAR/spl reg/ open test software architecture designed for supporting military avionics, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.