ncsl03

logo

 

Home

Program

Search Proceedings

Author Index

About NCSLI

Contact NCSLI

CD Tech Support

 

 

 

 

Session:

7C - Software and Automation 

Date & Time:

Wednesday August 9, 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Paper Title:

The Air Force?s ?Next Gen? Automation Calibration System 

 

 

Speaker:

Marc Monnin, Automated Applications Lead Engineer  

CoAuthors:

Speaker Info

Company:

AFMTECAL USAF

Department:

MLES

Address:

813 Irving Wick Dr W
Heath, OH, 43056-6113, United States

Phone:

740-788-5135

Email:

marc.monnin@afmetcal.af.mil 

 

 

Abstract:

Effective calibration automation requires a balance of people, time and equipment. People with calibration knowledge are a precious and scarce resource with limited time for automation. They move on in their careers and their knowledge can be lost. Computer languages and operating systems change which requiring extensive rework of existing software that leave little time for new development. Calibration hardware uses an ever expanding plethora of various control languages and communication protocols. Industry tries to help with standards but they are often too little too late or in a constant state of flux. The Air Force Metrology and Calibration Program's NextGen Calibration Automation system is one of the USAF answers to the above issues. The NextGen Calibration Automation uses defined levels (The Sequencer Level, the Measurement Module, and the Hardware Abstraction Layer) that can be modified independently of one another, but interact via common interfaces. This allows the internals of the levels to change without having to rewrite the entire program. The Sequencer Level handles equipment configuration, graphical user interfaces and test logic in a human readable XML standard. The Measurement Module is an equipment independent level which handles technique, timing and takes a particular measurement and can be reused on many calibration programs. It captures calibration knowledge. Finally, the Hardware Abstraction Layer concerns itself with instrument control, communication buses and equipment substitution. The Air Force Metrology and Calibration Program have already fielded several automated oscilloscope calibration programs using the defined layers of these NextGen Protocols. This paper describes the challenges and the rewards for automation using these defined layers  

 

 

 

 

NCSL International © 2006 All Rights Reserved
2995 Wilderness Place, Suite 107, Boulder, Colorado 80301-5404
Tel: (303) 440-3339 Fax: (303) 440-3384
info@ncsli.org

 

CD-ROM Produced by X-CD Technologies