Military & Aerospace A.T.E.

Orion Test Platform

Automated Test Equipment (ATE) is an indispensible tool in today’s high end commercial and defense markets. Over the years the Alcor design team has realized that the base instrumentation and system software of most ATE’s is the same and such Alcor is introducing to the market a new ATE platform that is versatile and can be adopted to a multitude of applications.

The Orion Test Platform is designed around a modular approach. Hardware and software can both be customized to meet any corner case requirements for a particular solution, at the same time leaving the base configuration intact.

The Orion Test Platform offers many advantages that translate into resource and time savings for the customer.

Some of the advantages offered by the Orion Test Platform are:

  • Ready Base Configuration for quicker deployment
  • High end instrumentation specifications
  • High level of integration for seamless test execution
  • Designed for easy upgradation
  • Reconfigurable for Multiple Applications
  • MIL STD connectors for LRU/UUT interface for long lasting trouble free connections
  • COTS and Modular design increases deployment life cycle
  • Designed with built in self monitoring tools
  • Software releases will be notified to the customer base

The high-end instrumentation specifications provided by the Orion Test Platform:

  • DMM: 6.5 digit, Voltage, Current, 4W Resistance
  • DSO: 4 ch, 1GS/s, 200 MHz, 1M record Length
  • FGen: 25 MHz, 2ch programmable arbitrary function generator
  • Digital I/O: 32 channel
  • Power Supply: 30V, 5A DC power supply
  • Power Distribution Unit: 3Ø/415V with built in safety feature
  • Relay Matrix for UUT interface
  • GPIB interface for legacy instruments
  • PXIe/PXI Chassis
  • MIL STD connectors for UUT/LRU interface
  • Workstation grade control PC
  • U-Rack system housing with adequate cooling and mechanical rigidity

System Highlights:

  • COTS Based modular design
  • MXI4/USB Communication backplane
  • PXI/PXIe chassis
  • Custom Power Distribution Unit for load balancing and power monitoring
  • Orion Test Sequencer for system and test program management
  • IVI and open standards for instrument drivers and test programs
  • C/C++ based test architecture for easy of portability

Orion Test Sequencer

ATE's are complicated machines with complex hardware and even more complicated software. One of the biggest challenges faced by ATE manufactures and customers is keeping the system maintenance and test execution as simple as possible.

Orion Test Sequencer is Alcor's solution to keep the test sequencing and maintenance as easy as possible. Orion Test Sequencer has a very intuitive interface giving the user all the required information in one convenient location.

Orion Test Sequencer Highlights:

  1. Easy of Use
    • Easy to Add/Remove/Edit tests from any sequence.
    • Test results are clearly displayed (PASS, FAIL or Not Executed).
    • Multiple test sequences can be easily saved and loaded.
    • Easy to skip or loop individual tests with the sequence.
    • Test results are logged using XML format.
  2. Test Execution Control:
    • Test Sequence can be executed 'end to end' or in test groups.
    • Test Sequence can be Paused and Resumed by a simple click of a mouse.
    • Execution Status is clearly displayed to the user.
    • 'Stop on Fail' functionality for preliminary diagnosis of failures.
    • Break Points can be added for failure isolation
  3. System Monitoring:
    • System information is available at one, easy to understand location.
    • Orion TS can monitor the hardware and software status of the ATE.
    • Orion TS will notify user if hardware is out of calibration or the software is not to the specified system revision.
    • System calibration status is clearly displayed on the main screen.
    • System components can be Add/Removed/Edited easily by an administrative privileged user.

Orion TS is designed for new as well as existing ATE users. Alcor ships all their ATE's with Orion TS as the user interface.

System requirements:

  • Win XP SP2 or later
  • .Net framework 3.0 or later

Linux and Mac OS X versions using MONO can also be provided on request.