The Spanish standard automatic test system (SAMe) experience

This paper describes the process and effort started 6 years ago for the definition, design and manufacturing of the new standard test system (known as SAMe) for the Spanish MOD. Due to proliferation of different and old test systems and obsolescence problems in some of them, the Spanish MOD faced the development of a new standard able to support past and future weapon systems. This paper outlines the history of this design, based in requirements from different test systems (designed to be compatible with HTE, CASS and GPATE between others) and describes the final SW and HW SAMe architecture. Based on COTS, flexible and open architecture, easy to upgrade, easy maintenance, two different versions for use in the lab or in the field, integrated self-test and self-calibration utilities, on-line documentation are some of the SAMe main features commented in this paper. In parallel with the SAMe development, INDRA is also doing an important effort in TPS migration from other test system to the SAMe platform. It is described in this paper the low cost TPS off-load strategy for F18 WRAs and SRAs that allow to replace the old HTE by the new SAMe, as well as the migration of TPSs for the AV8B+ from CASS to the SAMe with just small SW modifications. Specific SW tools and the intermediate interface test adapter (IITA) had to be developed to support this migration strategy. Finally, it is commented the present situation of the SAMe philosophy, with two SAMe already installed in the military bases supporting the F18 and AV8B aircraft with the migrated TPS. Four additional SAMe are under contract and three more to come. Now that base platform is defined, the future includes the development of new extensions for radar and electrooptic weapon systems. Future means also an important R&D effort to include into the SAMe platform SW and HW enhanced technologies in line with the future ATS requirements (ATML, synthetic instruments, reduced footprint, ...).