DOD's common test interface

In response to DOD's requirements ^1,2 the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standards Association, Instrumentation and Measurement Society and IEEE SCC20 Test Subcommittee, have jointly sponsored the development of two new test standards. These standards are addressing the requirements of a DOD Common Test Interface (CTI) architecture specification utilizing the current IEEE-P1505 Receiver Fixture Interface (RFI) Standard. Under the IEEE RFI Standing Working Group an open forum is offered to industry and DOD to develop a consensus among participants, using both formal and de facto standards to define a series of standards that form complete system specifications that will meet DOD Common Test Interface requirements. In support of these goals, the DOD Common Test Interface (CTI) architecture will assure past legacy and future Test Program Set (TPS) “plug and play” compatibility³ between defense agencies and defense-aerospace suppliers. Areas to be addressed are: (a) pin mapping; (b) scalability; (c) TPS legacy support; (d) connector parametrics DC to light; (e) reliability and maintainability; (f) physical; (g) switching; and (h) design-tocost factors. The necessity to reduce costs through standardization across all DOD agencies will greatly reduce custom design, build upon economics of scale through higher production run rates, permit agency sharing of ATS/TPS applications, and life cycle support. In addition, the standard supports TPS transportability/Re-host to protect legacy TPS investments. The next generation of ATE systems will therefore recover significant costs already expended. This paper provides an updated status and general overview of the IEEE-1505 Receiver- Fixture Interface, the “IEEE-P1505.1 - Standard for the Common Test Interface Pin Map Configuration for High-Density, Single-Tier Electronics Test Requirements Utilizing IEEE Std 1505”, and a new effort being submitted for full project status for a “Standard for the Common Test Interface Pin Map Configuration for Double-Tier Test Requirements Utilizing IEEE Std 1505”. The interrelationships and inherent benefits of the use of these standards will be presented.