Legacy support in a new age - a digital perspective

Support of legacy Test Systems and Test program Sets (TPS) is a complex and often difficult task. The current trend to support systems with Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) systems complicates the process tremendously. In order to provide compatibility with legacy TPSs, and yet introduce new technology and capability, many compromises must be made. There is a tremendous amount of money spent in the development of Test Systems, TPSs (including TPS hardware), and support infrastructure. In this paper we will address the process involved in replacing a complex Digital Test Unit (DTU) with a new more complex and more capable system.