For many years, Terma Space has used TestStand together with LabWindows/CVI to test their satellite components. On the hardware side, Terma Space has always used in-house developed custom instrumentation along with a few purchased standard instruments. A necessity in a highly specialized industry such as space, where production volumes are low, complexity is high, and quality requirements are stringent.
To speed up the development of test systems while increasing the consistency of the parts included in the custom instrumentation, Terma Space has developed a set of standard modules that can be combined in different ways when building a test system. Each of these modules can be regarded as an instrument in its own right, with a microprocessor controlling the various inputs and outputs. This naturally created a need for standard drivers on the tester PC as well, so the instrumentation could be controlled from the test sequence in TestStand. And that is where GPower came into the picture.
Terma Space wanted to accelerate and standardize the development of test systems for satellite components, while ensuring that their custom-developed hardware could be controlled flexibly from TestStand.
Development of a modular software platform based on LabVIEW and NI TestStand, including a LabVIEW API for hardware communication, custom TestStand step types, and a package-based software deployment system.
A more robust, stable, and scalable test system that can handle long test runs and large volumes of data, while making the development and maintenance of test systems simpler.
The delivery from GPower runs more stably than any other system we have had previously. Quality and stability are clearly the most important factors when delivering systems for space, and with GPower’s new software platform together with our in-house developed hardware platform, we now have the best-performing and most stable test system we have ever had.
– Morten Rahbek Svensson, Terma Space
Our task was to create software components for use in the test sequences that were just as modular as the hardware they were to control. We solved that task in two steps:
As part of the assignment, we also upgraded the entire software deployment process. This applies both to deploying re-use tools to the developers’ PCs and to deploying test sequence files and custom step types on the tester PC itself. We used VI Packages for the re-use tools and NI Packages for the rest. By using the package systems, we maintain control of versions and dependencies between the various software components. This approach provides a better overview and also helps ensure the quality of the test system.
With the new software platform, we can develop and maintain our test systems far more efficiently. At the same time, we have gained a robust solution that can handle the long test runs and large volumes of data that are critical in our work with satellite components.
– Morten Rahbek Svensson, Terma Space
When we develop test systems for our customers, the most important parameters vary. In some cases, speed may be the decisive factor, while in other cases it may be robustness and the amount of data that must be acquired and processed.
For Terma, it was crucial to have a long-term stable and robust test system that could not only capture but also store large volumes of data for test runs lasting up to several weeks. In this case, speed was therefore not the primary focus, but quality and stability:
As a result, it will not be possible to complete purchases today, and throughout the day only the Danish version of the website will be available.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to make a purchase during the day, you are—as always—very welcome to contact us:
Gabrielle, Marketing Manager: +45 5190 5790.
Thank you for your understanding—we look forward to welcoming you to our new website!
