PXI, while still a new architecture, has already established itself as the preferred platform for multiple market segments including Data Acquisition, Test & Measurement, Factory Automation, and more. Geotest, a provider of PXI products and systems, has been successful selling PXI solutions into vertical Test & Measurement markets such as military, aerospace, semiconductor, telecom, medical, and many more. PXI sales into the military and aerospace markets have been for laboratory and Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) applications. One of the challenges Geotest and other PXI vendors are faced with is making PXI even more rugged and suitable for field applications that require meeting shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, EMI, and other environmental requirements. In 1994, Geotest's AN/TSM-205 made history as the first PC-based flight line test set to be deployed by the military. The AN/TSM-205 is an ultra-rugged ISA-based test set that has been deployed worldwide by the U.S. Army as well as other countries in support of the AH-64 Apache program. Using mostly COTS PC cards, Geotest was able to design and produce a rugged tester that can operate anywhere in the world, from the scorching deserts of Kuwait to the frozen plains of Bosnia. The AN/TSM-205 helped the U.S. Army increase the readiness of its fleet of 750 Apache helicopters from 50 percent to 92 percent while significantly reducing maintenance costs (R&D Magazine, May 1999 issue). The AN/TSM-205 (on the cover of this issue) is currently deployed in Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Israel, Greece, Bosnia, Germany, and across the U.S. Geotest is now in the process of upgrading the AN/TSM-205 from PC to PXI in support of the U.S. Air Force Maverick program. The new Maverick tester has been designated as the MTS-206. Externally, it looks identical to the AN/TSM-205 although the entire electronics package is being replaced. While PXI was designed as a rugged platform, standard PXI products cannot meet the requirements of military flight line testers without some help (provided by the MTS-206 chassis). Using the proven shock-protected mechanical design of the AN/TSM-205, a custom PXI card cage has been designed to protect COTS PXI cards from shock & vibration. The MTS-206 has a built-in heater that operates when the ambient temperature drops below 0° C, the minimum operating temperature for most commercial PXI products. All products are conformally coated to meet humidity requirements and the custom card-cage and the case provide the shielding necessary to meet the stringent MIL-STD-461 EMI requirements. Because the MTS-206 is based on the cost-effective PXI, its cost is significantly lower than that of the equivalent VXI platform or that of a customized military solution. Geotest plans to ship the MTS-206 in Q4 2002 and will offer a commercial, rugged version without the Maverick-specific electronics in Q1 2003. Once again, Geotest is proving that commercial test equipment can be used in the harshest of operating environment without sacrificing costs or performance.
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