Integrating COTS VXI hardware and software for the Marine Corps third echelon test system

This paper presents an overview of the Marine Corps´ new third echelon test system (TETS) and describes the work done by ManTech and Teradyne to integrate a standard-based tester able to withstand the unique challenges of the Marine Corps´ environment. The focus of the paper is on the integration efforts by ManTech and Teradyne in the critical areas of power and cooling design, subject to the system constraints of size, weight, and operating environment. It details other aspects of the integration effort, including tradeoffs in component selection, hardware integration, and mechanical design for a ruggedized environment. The paper will also discuss how the use of standards such as VXI facilitated the integration of a large number of components from a variety of suppliers. Power and cooling design will be explored at the system level, along with a more focused look at the power and cooling requirements for the TETS digital subsystem. The paper also describes the rigorous testing environment that was part of the system evaluation process. The conclusion summarizes the challenges of integrating COTS test hardware and software while adhering to the strict requirements of the target environment, and describe power and cooling techniques that can be applied in a variety of system integration applications