Success Story – Functional Test System and TPS Development

A leading North American passenger aircraft manufacturer wanted to move forward to a commercial off the shelf (COTS) test system that incorporated the latest avionics test technology without abandoning their existing customer’s investment in tooling and proven maintenance procedures.

The company selected and configured a commercially based test system. Adapters were designed to make the interface compatible with the legacy system. Once a decision was reached to make the Test Program Sets (TPS) compatible it was decided to outsource that project; ASP was chosen to be part of the outsourcing team.

As part of the team, ASP helped design and implement software for the new system that would mimic the environment of the legacy test system that was being replaced. That software enabled the rehosting to be completed at a much lower cost than rewriting every TPS.

To avoid future excess maintenance costs, ASP developed a driver framework to wrap around vendor specific drivers so that instruments could be replaced in the new test system without having to update the TPS.
ASP developed rehost procedures that made use of an assembly line process to edit, debug, and document the TPS. Over 200 TPS were rehosted in 18 months. ASP standardized the rehosting procedures and documentation that easily allowed other parties to verify that the TPS conformed to the stated requirements including ARINC625 guidelines.

ASP evolved to become the focal point for the project that was completed on time and within budget. The effort required a combination of skills that included software, instrumentation, and the ability to break down large projects into manageable pieces.