Electronic countermeasures (ECM) technique measurements and automation methods

Test and verification of ECM Systems can prove to be challenging due to the dynamically changing RF signals encountered. To support development of an ECM system it is important to provide a method of test for ECM technique measurements. This method needs to not only support the development and integration phase of the system, but also final performance and functional verification. Having a method to provide the user with an automated and simplified measurement capability saves time and improves accuracy and repeatability. This paper will discuss generic ECM system measurement methods and their automation for use in Test Program Set (TPS) applications. Specifically, ECM technique measurements will be discussed. An overview will be provided on Northrop Grumman's ECM Techniques Analyzer (ECMTA). The architecture will be discussed along with its measurement capabilities and application to TPS use. The ECMTA supports a variety of test needs and has been provided to multiple Customers in order to support EW Jammer programs and lab applications. The ECMTA incorporates a modular tuned receiver architecture that allows COTS modules to be reconfigured via software to form the desired measurement instrument capability. This software defined instrument capability is coded using LabVIEW. Digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms are applied to analyze and process the desired technique response for display to the user. Additional test capabilities have been integrated with TestStand to provide an automated parametric verification (pass/fail) capability which is used for final system test of verification.