AN AUTOMATED TESTING SYSTEM FOR A TELEMETRY TRACKING SYSTEM

Abstract

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) has developed an Advanced Transportable Telemetry Acquisition System (TTAS-A) which utilizes a dedicated computer system for antenna control. The Automated Testing System (ATS), an integral part of this system, is the subject of this paper. The ATS consists of hardware and software designed to provide fully automated testing of the radio frequency (RF) and servo subsystems for validation purposes. The RF subsystem tests are designed to evaluate, measure, and display RF performance parameters such as receiving system Figure of Merit and RF system sensitivity. The servo subsystem tests are designed to evaluate and display the stability and response characteristics of the servo subsystem. Tests are accessed via a keyboard, and extensive use of menus makes the software easy to learn and use. The test equipment is controlled entirely by the computer, and hard copies of all test results are available on the system printer.