Virtual Instrumentation Techniques in Test and Evaluation of Launch Vehicle Avionics

Abstract

This paper presents the concept of virtual instrumentation and its importance in test and evaluation of launch vehicle avionics. The experiences at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) with virtual instrumentation systems, highlighting the virtual instrumentation-based checkout systems of pyro current monitoring package and video image processing unit are presented. The virtual instrumentation system-based checkouts present cost-effective, compact, and user-friendly human-machine interlaces for the test and evaluation of these packages. The issues of a common hardware-software platform for testing different telemetry packages and the capability of real-time virtual instruments for testing navigation, guidance, and control packages have been investigated.