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Missile Verifier
The US Navy is refurbishing and recertification this missile. This work is being performed in Utah. The task was to automate the missile testing to ensure consistent data acquisition and save a record of each measurement taken. The tester is used to evaluate the level of refurbishing required upon receipt, and as the final test and certification for completed missiles. Resistance measurements are made between various pairs of pins in the missile’s umbilical connector,compared against a specified limit range to determine failures, and saved in a data record for that missile. Sixteen to twenty-six measurements are completed based on which of the eight models and its options is being evaluated. A four-wire (Kelvin) configuration is used to provide the highest accuracy on the low resistance circuits. The instrumentation consists of two Agilent 34972A Data Acquisition units with two 40-channel multiplexer cards in each. These are connected to an Amptec 620ES Igniter Tester (which is a digital 4-wire resistance meter that is certified munitions safe). The acquisition connections and test limits are controlled by a National Instruments TestStand program. It calls LabView modules to operate the instrumentation and provide an auto ranging function for the meter. The program also prompts the test operator through the setup and connection process with appropriate safety instructions and warnings. Safety is of paramount importance since the missile and its canister contain a number of explosive elements and on some models, a warhead.
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