The challenge of new technology for avionics testing

Existing U.S. Air Force avionics technology, avionics test methods, and maintenance methods are briefly reviewed. The electron-device technology that is being developed is discussed and related to problems and opportunities in test equipment and methodology. Attention is given to various types of electrooptical equipment, microwave devices, and microelectronics systems. These include forward-looking IR technology, fiber optics, integrated optical circuits, lasers and associated equipment, vacuum tubes, FETs, diodes, power combiners, millimeter-wave devices, SAW devices, magnetostatic surface-wave devices, large-scale integration, and microprocessors. The need for better test methodologies that mesh with computer-aided design is emphasized.