Welcome to the August edition of Test Connections. This month we’re focusing on our products and systems designed for use in harsh or austere environments. Explore these topics to learn more about how the PXI platform enables the development of test solutions that achieve reliable performance in less than ideal conditions.
Our PXI-based rugged, portable test sets (variants of our core MTS-207 test set) are deployed worldwide in support of armament test on 4th and 5th generation aircraft from the flightline to the depot.
The MTS-235A performs full parametric test on F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Alternate Mission Equipment including launchers, pylons and racks.
For test system engineers, many of our COTS instrument products are available in conformally coated and ruggedized versions.
Our always-busy trade show schedule will find us at the US National Guard Association’s annual conference, IEEE AUTOTESTCON, F-16 World Wide Review and the Air & Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference, all happening now or in the near future. We hope to see you at one of these events, but if trade shows and conferences are not yet in your plans, please contact us to arrange a meeting at your facility or ours to discuss your most demanding test requirements and explore our innovative solutions.
Stephen T. Sargeant
Major General, USAF (Ret.)
CEO
We hope you enjoy this month's issue of Test Connections which includes new product updates and news events.
Please send your comments or suggestions regarding this newsletter to marketing@MarvinTest.com.
MTS-3060A SmartCan™ Universal O-Level Armament Test Set Enables ACE | | | | Agile Combat Employment (ACE) is a USAF operational concept that enhances warfighter effectiveness through the use of streamlined, resilient logistics footprint to support forward deployments of multiple types of aircraft in a contested environment. ACE supports faster response to threats, reduced vulnerability to attack, and the ability to operate from austere locations for extended periods of time.
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MTS-235A Supports F-35 Armament Test | | | | | Marvin Test Solutions’ MTS-235A is a state-of-the-art, proven Production and Depot-Level test set supporting F-35 armament systems globally today. The MTS-235A Test Set was designed with the capabilities needed to serve as the F-35 Intermediate Level Armament Test Set in its portable, ultra-rugged, flightline and backshop qualified case, with full support for MIL-STD-1760 assemblies and all F-35 interfaces. | |
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Many of our PXI Instruments are Available in Ruggedized Versions
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to learn more.
Munitions Stimulation, Without the Boom
Read the blog post
here.
White Paper: 21st Century Test Equipment for 21st Century MaintainersClick here
to learn more.
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MTS-3060A SmartCan™ Universal O-Level Armament Test Set Enables ACE
Agile Combat Employment (ACE) is a USAF operational concept that enhances warfighter effectiveness through the use of streamlined, resilient logistics footprint to support forward deployments of multiple types of aircraft in a contested environment. ACE demands multi-capable Airmen and easy to use, multi-platform capable test support equipment as there will be fewer Airmen to perform tasks across a number of systems supporting aircraft without the traditional support found at a main operating base. ACE supports faster response to threats, reduced vulnerability to attack, and the ability to operate from austere locations for extended periods of time.
Marvin Test Solutions’ MTS-3060A SmartCan™ Universal O-Level Armament Test Set enables ACE, providing comprehensive flightline armament test capability in a compact, handheld test set that is easy to deploy, use, and maintain. The SmartCan is the most advanced, cybersecure flightline armament test set available delivering significant reductions in test time, training hours, and logistics footprint, while replacing multiple legacy test sets and improving test performance and reliability. For example, multiple aircraft – manned and unmanned, rotary and fixed wing – that are equipped with armament can be loaded into a single SmartCan, eliminating the traditional deployment of a multitude of aircraft-specific armament test sets on the flightline.
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Faster Setup and Test Times
Flightline setup and test times are significantly reduced. F-16 test setup, when compared to the current legacy test set, was reduced from 45 minutes to 4 minutes (91% reduction). Similarly, F-16 test execution times for a pylon utilizing MIL-STD-1760 and a LAU-129 being tested for both AIM-120 and AIM-9X were reduced from 20 minutes to 3 minutes (85% reduction), and from 35 minutes to 4 minutes (89% reduction) respectively. F-15 testing demonstrated similar savings. Advanced cybersecurity features and protection are provided including data and test program set (TPS) encryption and a removable hard drive in the form of a SD card.
SmartCan Setup and Test Times
Reduced Logistics Footprint
The AA battery-operated MTS-3060A weighs roughly just 4lbs, yet provides more than 30 measurement and multiple e-load channels, generates audio and video signals required to simulate missile functions for the AIM-9 and AGM-65 missiles. In addition, it supports active, full-functional testing of MIL-STD-1760 by emulating JDAM, AMRAAM, AIM-9X, and other 1760-based weapon systems.
Handheld SmartCan and SmartCan Kit
Interoperability
The SmartCan is capable of supporting all armament, supporting legacy and Smart weapons on all current and future fighters, bombers, attack helicopters, and UAS platforms.
Importantly, the SmartCan program load can include support for multiple blocks and multiple types of aircraft, providing a single flightline test solution for any size fleet, increasing standardization, and reducing the test equipment footprint. The SmartCan enables the USAF to achieve ACE objectives by serving as a common flightline armament test set for all deployed weapon carrying aircraft. The intuitive features of the SmartCan ensure airmen can quickly become experts in its use in minimum time.
A Smarter Approach to Maintenance and Sustainment
The SmartCan features an innovative test language that further reduces development and integration costs, allowing users to develop, create and integrate their own test programs. With this capability under the users’ control, the USAF (or other Services) can choose to have the task of maintaining and creating test set programs at the program-office level without the need for contractor support.
Additionally, data collection, storage, and download capability enables trend analysis and supports emerging predictive maintenance analytics initiatives.
Test Set Commonality Enables Efficiency
Maintainers understand the shortcomings of currently fielded legacy armament test equipment and have expressed the need for a common solution that supports both legacy and Smart (MIL-STD-1760) weapons. They have expressed the desire to have a small footprint, handheld armament test set that functions across multiple types of armed aircraft, meets cybersecurity requirements, supports predictive maintenance analytics, and provides easy to use menu driven operation in all operating environments.
The SmartCan delivers those capabilities, enabling ACE and ensuring mission readiness for the warfighter across multiple AORs.
Resources to Explore
The SmartCan is part of Marvin Test Solutions’ comprehensive suite of armament and munitions test sets. Visit our website to learn more about why the SmartCan is the current choice of multiple air forces and supporting their fleets worldwide. Additionally, you will find links to our armament maintainer Blog.
Finally, while there you can explore our KnowledgeBase for informative white papers and articles on the subject of armament test, including:
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MTS-235A Supports F-35 Armament Test
Production, Intermediate, and Depot Level F-35 Armament Test Set
Marvin Test Solutions’ MTS-235A is a state-of-the-art, proven Production and Depot-Level test set supporting F-35 armament systems globally today. The MTS-235A Test Set was designed with the capabilities needed to serve as the F-35 Intermediate Level Armament Test Set in its portable, ultra-rugged, flightline and backshop qualified case.
The MTS-235A performs parametric functional tests on F-35 Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) including Launchers, Pylons, associated subassemblies and adapters, with full support for MIL-STD-1760 assemblies and all F-35 interfaces.
The system is currently in use for production testing of F-35 AME by the Marvin Engineering Company, a leader in F-35 AME manufacturing. It is also being used as an F-35 Armament Depot tester by both the U.S. Air Force and Marvin Engineering Company. The MTS-235A is field-qualified and is ready for Intermediate-Level use if the F-35 adopts 3-Level maintenance for armament. | |
Field Proven and Easy to Use
Test capabilities and ease-of-use features:- Removable, integrated LCD touch screen Remote Control & Display Unit (RCDU)
- Ultra-rugged construction permits use in adverse environments found at home station and deployed.
- Menu-driven design simplifies operation, reduces training time, and eliminates the need to refer to cumbersome Tech Orders during operation. A menu-driven structure, developed using the cybersecure ATEasy® Test Executive and Development Studio, guides the user and creates an environment that virtually eliminates operator errors.
- Cable detection is automatic and prevents connection errors.
- Cables incorporate ‘connector savers’, prolonging the useful life of cables with sensitive contact types like twinax and coax. Connector savers can be easily replaced without having to repair cables.
- Add-on compressor unit available to conduct off-aircraft testing of BRU-67, BRU-68, and Air-to-Ground Pylon (AGP) pneumatics.
The design of the MTS-235A is based on the proven and widely fielded GENASYS Rugged MTS-207 Ultra-rugged Test Set, deployed in over 20 countries providing the baseline architecture for the MTS-206A Maverick Field Test Set, MTS-209 Common Armament Test Set, AN/TSM-205B Hellfire System Test Set, and USAF’s PATS-70 and PATS-70A A-10C Test Sets. The ultra-rugged and modular PXI-based design of the MTS-207 ensures the flexibility and upgradeability needed to support current and future armament and munitions.
To learn more about the advanced features that streamline AME maintenance and sustainment for the F-35, visit our website to view the product information and specifications and download our informative white paper, "F-35 Armament Maintenance and Sustainment Test".
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GENASYS Rugged: Base Model (MTS-207) and Implementations
Globally-Deployed Proven Performance for the Field and Flightline
PXI has proven to be a powerful and robust standard that is suitable for most Mil-Aero test applications. PXI-based testers are widely used today in engineering test stations, as production acceptance testers, and as environmental stress screening testers, as well as full-fledged Intermediate-Level and Depot-Level testers.
Marvin Test Solutions’ GENASYS Rugged offers a comprehensive line of PXI-based test sets that demonstrate PXI’s viability as an ultra-rugged field and flightline platform suitable for conditions where only custom electronics or MIL-SPEC VME products were capable of surviving before.
These test sets are all based on an ultra-rugged COTS PXI or PXIe platform with a 14-slot backplane that has been successfully deployed since 2004, and all have demonstrated their ability to operate reliably in any operational theater, with hundreds of deployed test sets to-date. All of the test sets shown below are available in PXI and PXIe configurations.
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MTS-207 - The Core Platform
The MTS-207 is the core platform for Marvin Test Solutions’ portfolio of armament system test sets which employ the same field-proven architecture and compact, rugged design. The MTS-207 is ideal for test and data acquisition applications requiring operation under harsh environmental conditions including flightline, backshop, or airborne applications. MTS’ state-of-the-art test sets are designed to provide advanced test capabilities with a space-efficient, small footprint, suitable for O- and/or I-level use.
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AN/TSM-205 Series - Armament Systems Test Set
The AN/TSM-205B are portable test sets designed to perform full parametric functional test with diagnostics to the LRU level on integrated Hellfire and Longbow systems as installed on the aircraft, as well as testing the entire fire control system from the cockpit switches to the launch rails. |  |
MTS-206A Series - Maverick Field Test Set
The MTS-206A is an I-level portable test set for the AGM-65 Maverick missile system and for AGM-114 missiles. The MTS-206A performs parametric functional tests on Hellfire missiles and on Maverick missile system components including: AGM-65 missile (all versions in tactical and training configurations), AGM-65 missile sections (GCS & CAS, all versions in tactical and training configurations), LAU-117 and LAU-88 Maverick launchers (all versions), and launcher-missile clusters. |  |
MTS-209 - Common Armament Test Set
The MTS-209 is an O- and I-level portable test set for various armament systems used on the F-16, F-15, F-18, TA-50, FA-50 and additional aircraft, providing full parametric test with built-in diagnostics. The MTS-209 supports a wide range of Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) including launchers, pylons, and racks deployed on these aircraft. |  |
MTS-235A - F-35 Armament Test Set
The MTS-235A is a production I-, and D-level portable test set for various armament systems used on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter including launchers, pylons, and racks. The MTS-235 performs parametric functional tests on F-35 Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) components including Launchers (iARL and eARL), Pylons (Air-to-Ground and Air-to-Air) and associated subassemblies and adapters, with full support for the MIL-STD-1760 bus interface, facilitating the testing of Smart weapon systems.
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PATS (Portable Automated Test Set) -70
The PATS-70 is an automatic test system designed to perform functional tests on the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II’s IFF, Anti-skid, Alpha Mach, Stability Augmentation System (SAS), and Fuel Quantity Indicating System. The PATS-70 uses the MTS-207 as its core. Developed by the U.S. Air Force, the PATS-70 provides the logic and hardware control necessary to coordinate and automate control of these system functions. The PATS-70 is an automated, user friendly, adaptable test set that provides robust system diagnostic capability, significantly reducing the time required to bring an aircraft into mission ready status. The next-generation PATS-70A configuration adds armament systems test capability to the existing avionics test capability of the PATS-70. |
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These PXI implementations demonstrate the robustness and ruggedness of PXI and establish PXI as a viable solution for any flightline or field test application. With PXI’s small footprint, low cost, and range of products to meet the requirements of just about any application, PXI should be the preferred choice for rugged military testers.
To learn more about PXI solutions for O-, I-, and D-Level test, the following articles are available from the MTS
KnowledgeBase:
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White Paper: Modernizing Legacy Automated Test Systems for DOD Depots•
Field and Flightline Testing of MIL-STD-1760 Systems•
Portable Automated Test Station: An Engineering-Design Partnership to Replace Obsolete Test Systems•
F-35 Armament Maintenance and Sustainment Test
Newsworthy Happenings at Marvin Test Solutions
Trade Show News
The tempo of our trade show calendar continues to increase, with a return to live events throughout the year. We truly enjoy this interaction with customers, and we look forward to seeing you at one of these upcoming events:
Aug 29 - Sep 1, 2022, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD
Sep 19 - 21, 2022, Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD
Sep 25 - 30, 2022, Caribe Royale Hotel, Orlando, FL
Oct 18 - 20, 2022, Hilton Warsaw Hotel & Convention Centre, Warsaw, Poland
Oct 24 - 25, 2022, Hilton DoubleTree, Tucson, AZ
Nov 9 - 11, 2022, Sakhir Airbase, Kingdom of Bahrain
Nov 15 - 18, 2022, Trade Fair Center Messe, München, Germany
Dec 12 - 15, 2022, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL |
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Our trade show schedule is always available on our website, but if trade show attendance is not in your plans, please contact us to schedule a meeting, either in person or virtual, to discuss your test needs.
Connect With Us!
Connect with MTS on social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook) to learn more about how We Make Test Easy™, and visit our YouTube channel to view our latest videos. Our blog features interesting and timely articles about current test topics, and our Facebook presence includes specialized pages for the Warfighter Test Solutions Community and for ATEasy users.
Industry Press
Air Force magazine - Jun 3, 2022
Accelerating Warfighter Solutions That Enable Agile Combat Employment
Electronic Product Design & Test - May 1, 2022
PXI breathes new life into legacy test systems
Semiconductor Packaging News - Jan 10, 2022
VIEWPOINT 2022: Major General Stephen T. Sargeant, USAF (Ret.), and CEO, Marvin Test Solutions
Test & Measurement Tips - Dec 9, 2021
ATEasy gets a facelift for 2021
Military & Aerospace Electronics - Nov 30, 2021
Test and measurement equipment keeps high-tech systems in working order
Evaluation Engineering - Oct 11, 2021
2021 Mil/Aero Test Special Report
Evaluation Engineering - Aug 6, 2021
Featured Tech - July-August 2021
Microwave Journal - Aug 2, 2021
Executive Interview: Steve Sargeant, CEO, Marvin Test Solutions
Press Releases
Jul 7, 2022 Marvin Test Solutions Welcomes New Director of Military and Aerospace Business Development
Dec 21, 2021 Jon Semancik, MTS Director of Marketing, Named PXISA President
Dec 6, 2021 Marvin Test Solutions Announces Release of ATEasy 2021
Nov 2, 2021 Marvin Test Solutions Announces New 16-Channel PXI Device Power Supply (DPS)
Apr 27, 2021 Innovative 5G mmWave Test Systems See Broad Industry Adoption
Apr 6, 2021 Marvin Test Solutions’ TS-900e-5G Selected for mmWave Device Production Test |
Many of our PXI Instruments are Available in Ruggedized Versions
Test systems deployed in austere environments may require instrumentation that is adapted to perform to specifications despite extreme temperatures, humidity or poor air quality.
Many of Marvin Test Solutions’ COTS PXI instrument products are available in ruggedized, conformally-coated versions. Select the -M version when ordering products for reliable test system performance despite challenging conditions.
Browse the product information below or contact us to learn more.
GX1632e-M PXIe Analog Output / Arbitrary Waveform Generator Card
GX6188-M High Density 6U Matrix Switch Card
GX3104-M 4-Channel Source Measure Unit
GX3722-M FPGA Multi-Function I/O Card
GX3748-M FPGA 48-Channel Threshold Comparator Card
GX3756-M FPGA 56-Channel TTL I/O Card
GX7928-M 6U cPCI/PXI Controller
GX1649-M Analog Output / Arbitrary Waveform Generator PXI Card
GX3601-M FPGA 80-Channel TTL Buffer Card
GX3700-M FPGA High Performance Digital I/O Card
GX1164-2M 4- or 8-Channel Programmable Resistance Card
GX1838-M 8-Channel Precision DC Source
GX1838-20-M 8-Channel Precision DC Source (+/- 20 V)
GX2065-M 6.5 Digit DMM/Digitizer
GX3348-64M 64-Channel Analog I/O Card
GX3788-M High Performance FPGA Multi-Function Card
GX6315-M 45-Channel High Current Relay Card
GX6325-M 75-Channel Form C (SPDT) Relay Card
GX6616-M High Density Switch Matrix Card (6 groups of 2x16)
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