Aerospace Test Automation

System Engineer · 2024 · 2 years · 8 people · 1 min read

Developed test automation solutions for aerospace, HVAC, and defense applications, improving test efficiency and reliability

Overview

Architected and integrated test automation solutions for various clients including L3Harris rocket systems, Daikin HVAC, and defense applications using TestPoint HAL and TASC frameworks

Problem

Manual testing processes were time-consuming, error-prone, and couldn't keep pace with rapid development cycles for safety-critical systems

Constraints

  • Aerospace systems require DO-178C compliance
  • Defense applications need MIL-STD traceability
  • HVAC systems require FDA compliance for commercial applications
  • Multiple programming languages and hardware platforms

Approach

Developed comprehensive test automation frameworks using LabVIEW, TestStand, C#, and Python. Created configuration UIs and database integration solutions that reduced testing time by 60%

Key Decisions

Use LabVIEW + TestStand combination

Reasoning:

LabVIEW provides excellent hardware integration for data acquisition, while TestStand offers test sequencing and reporting. Industry standard for automated test.

Alternatives considered:
  • Python + pytest - Good but less hardware integration
  • Custom C# framework - Higher development time

Implement database-driven test configurations

Reasoning:

Enables non-engineers to modify test parameters without code changes, improves traceability

Tech Stack

  • LabVIEW
  • TestStand
  • C#
  • Python
  • SQL
  • TestPoint HAL
  • TASC Framework

Result & Impact

  • 60% faster testing
    Test Time Reduction
  • 95%+ for aerospace tests
    Code Coverage
  • L3Harris rockets, Daikin HVAC, defense apps
    Systems Tested
  • 80% of tests automated
    Automation Rate

Test automation solutions enabled continuous integration testing for safety-critical systems, catching defects earlier in the development cycle

Learnings

  • LabVIEW + TestStand is industry standard for automated test
  • Database-driven configurations improve maintainability
  • Automation enables continuous testing for safety-critical systems
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