Selection and demonstration of a common data bus monitor and analysis system

Operational testing of military weapon systems requires the use of a data collection system to assess system performance and to isolate problems. Typically, a data collection system is developed for a specific system or platform. For each data collection system, operational test personnel must be trained and an implementation plan must be developed for accessing storing, extracting, and analyzing the collected data. Limitations of these individually developed systems include inadequate durability, short recording time, difficulty in extracting specific data elements for analysis, and a time-consuming analysis process. If a ruggedized, common data bus monitor and analysis system were developed, operational testing could be conducted in a more efficient, cost-effective manner. The system would have sufficient capability and flexibility to meet the needs of Army operational testing for a variety of test platforms, and data analysis routines and procedures could be standardized and streamlined. The emergence of standard data buses, such as MIL-STD-1553, increases the practicality of a common system by facilitating evaluation of the performance of the hardware and software “connected” to the bus. Recognizing the advantages of using a common system to conduct operational testing on various Army weapon systems, the U.S. Army Operational Evaluation Command (OEC) asked ARINC Research Corporation to design and develop such a system. This paper describes the development of the common data bus monitor and analysis system and the conduct of a proof-of-concept demonstration to validate the premise for such a system