AFIT´s laboratory test equipment to optimise the integrated communication systems for polish military helicopters

The paper has been intended to present a research/testing tool used in the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) to build, actuate, test, and optimise integrated communication systems as far as both a set of devices the system is composed of and the applied software are concerned. Particular attention has been paid to the so-called integration station (built under the Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-24 upgrade project), i.e. the laboratory equipment to optimise and unify communication systems integrated on the basis of digital data buses (following the MIL-1553B standard, among other ones). Such equipment has allowed AFIT to integrate new communication devices/systems while upgrading the W-3PL helicopter. Some selected tasks performed with this equipment engaged have been discussed. Also, problems arising while actuating and testing the developed software to integrate communication devices/systems (including digitally controlled radio stations of the RRC, HARRIS, and MR6000 types, communication control panels of the PSŁ-1 type and multifunction displays of the MW-1 type) have been given consideration in the scope of the software functionality and reliability. Presented are also additional monitoring and measuring systems used to test this software, just to mention the M230 rugged laptop computer used to diagnose the system and prepare plans of the radio communication.