NEXV3 SIR Sect M_Att M01_OCT Plan.docx

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

Operational Capabilities Test (OCT) Plan for the

Next Generation Air/Ground Communications

(NEXCOM)

Version 3 (V3) Radio Acquisition

Document History Version Control

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

OCT Plan for NEXCOM V3 Radio Acquisition

SCIT-NEXCOMIII-C3-PLN-001_v1.0 iii March 03, 2023 Introduction The Next Generation Air/Ground Communications (NEXCOM) Version 3 (V3) Radio program will replace En Route airspace Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) ground-based analog radios deployed at Remote Center Air/Ground (RCAG) and Back-Up Emergency Communications (BUEC) facilities. The V3 Radio program will also sustain the ongoing deployment of VHF/UHF radios that support Air Traffic Control (ATC) services with Terminal airspace, Terminal Approach Control (TRACON) airspace, and Flight Service applications.

The NEXCOM V3 Radio acquisition is intended to be a competitive, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)/Non-Developmental Item (NDI) procurement. An Operational Capabilities Test (OCT) of each Offeror’s proposed V3 radio will be conducted prior to a contract award. The OCT will serve as an integral element of the technical evaluation and source selection processes.

1.1 Purpose of the Test Plan

The primary objective of the OCT is to evaluate the capabilities of the radio equipment submittals accompanying the Offeror’s proposal prior to contract award. The OCT Plan provides the framework and processes to ensure each Offeror’s system is evaluated in a standardized environment using standardized methodologies and criteria.

1.2 Scope of the Test Plan

Each Offeror’s submittal will be characterized to assess product conformance to the requirements defined within the product description for the NEXCOM Version 3 Radio, FAA-E-37021. The OCT Plan identifies the equipment configurations, verification processes, roles & responsibilities of both Government and Offeror personnel, events scheduled, and related activities which support obtaining product assessment.

Reference Documents The following documents form a part of this document to the extent specified herein. Other documents referenced in this plan are directly referenced in the subsystem specification.

FAA-E-37021, Product Description for the NEXCOM Version 3 Radio, v2.5.

Section L, 693KA8-23-R-00005, Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors.

Section M, 693KA8-23-R-00005, Evaluation Factors for Award.

System Description

System Overview

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires Air/Ground (A/G) voice communications links to provide ATC services to all classes of National Airspace System (NAS) users. These links support all phases of flight including en route, terminal approach control, flight service and terminal space-based ground movements; departures and arrivals. The NEXCOM V3 VHF/UHF radios are used to ensure aircraft separation, transmit instructions and clearances, permit hand-offs, provide weather services and pilot reports (PIREPs), and communicate with Automated Flight Service Stations (AFSSs). Civilian aircraft, including air carrier and general aviation, are served in the VHF band while Department of Defense (DOD) aircraft are served in the UHF band.

V3 radios will operate using the current 25 kHz channel-spacing assignment in their respective radio frequency (RF) bands. Each radio band will support signal-in-space communications using a double sideband-amplitude modulation (DSB-AM) waveform. The VHF radios will also have frequency tuning capabilities to operate on 8.33 kHz channel-spacing assignments in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defined standards.

V3 radios will be physically compatible with today’s existing NAS equipment, be equipped with a legacy analog audio interface(s) as well as an ED-137C compliant Internet Protocol (IP)-based audio interface(s) supporting NAS subsystems and components.

Interfaces Overview

V3 Radios have the following interface requirements:

Program Description

The OCT is part of the V3 Radio Source Selection and will be used to evaluate and characterize whether the Offeror’s system meets the V3 requirements.

The OCT will be carried out by two teams within the Technical Evaluation Team (TET), the OCT Test Team and the OCT Product Team. The OCT Test Team will evaluate the V3 Radio requirements where verification and evaluation require direct physical contact with the V3 Radio equipment. The OCT Product Team will evaluate V3 Radio requirements that can be evaluated by reviewing Offeror technical and analysis documentation. The findings of both teams will be compiled into a Final Report prepared by the TET.

Approach and Concept

The OCT consists of evaluating each Offeror’s V3 Radio configuration against the product description requirements delineated in FAA-E-37021.

The Government will evaluate each FAA-E-37021 specification using a methodology that is best suited for the requirement being evaluated. For example, for V3 Radio Requirements involving proper labeling or measurements, evaluation will be conducted by visual inspection. For requirements that call for in-depth familiarity with the V3 Radio such as user control parameter and maintenance monitoring settings, the requirements will be evaluated by an Offeror demonstration.

Some V3 Radio requirements will be tested by the OCT Test Team using application specific test tools located in laboratories at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC), Atlantic City, NJ. The standardized test bed provides equipment control, network emulation and impairment generation, and data collection such that all candidate subsystems can be evaluated in an identical manner. The WJHTC test bed environment ensures the stability, reliability, consistency, and repeatability of the evaluation process.

For requirements that cannot be easily inspected, tested, or demonstrated, such as system conformance to industry and FAA standards, the OCT Product Team will verify the requirements using Offeror provided data analysis reports and system design documentation.

OCT evaluation will take place in two locations. Tests and inspections will be conducted at the WJHTC by the OCT Test Team. For the demonstrations, the Offeror will operate and control their V3 Radios at the WJHTC to show compliance to selected requirements to the OCT Test Team. For analysis verification, the OCT Product Team will review Offeror provided analysis documentation for selected requirements at FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

SIR Attachment M03, OCT Verification Requirements Traceability Matrix (VRTM) provides a complete list of all the V3 Radio requirements and the methodology that will be used for evaluation. The VRTM also lists the Test Cases that will be used. All Test Cases are described in Appendix A, Test Case Descriptions.

Test Environment

FAA testing, inspections, and Offeror demonstrations will be conducted in the NEXCOM Radio Laboratory, Building #70, at the William J Hughes Technical Center. The radio laboratory contains automated receiver and transmitter test beds as well as manual bench tests designed to support OCT data collection. The automated test equipment (ATE) will provide radio control equipment emulation, radio emulation, test equipment control, and automatic data collection such that all Offeror radio submittals can be evaluated in an identical manner. The ATE will be programmed to execute standard test cases on a test bed in a laboratory environment. This will ensure the stability, reliability, consistency, and repeatability of the evaluation process.

Test and Analysis Tools

The automated OCT test beds includes a testbed computer that will be used to collect and store test data gathered during the testing process. The test data will be reduced and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and National Instruments LabVIEW and TestStand software.

Test and Evaluation Descriptions

Each requirement in the NEXCOM V3 Radio Specification, FAA-E-37021, will be evaluated as part of the Technical Evaluation unless otherwise specified.

The V3 Radio OCT is comprised of six functional Test & Evaluation (T&E) categories. The functional categories are subdivided into test cases for requirements verification. Each OCT test case will help to verify the requirements as listed in SIR Attachment M03, OCT VRTM.

Functional Test & Evaluation Categories

Figure 41 Radio OCT Test Categories, depicts the six functional T&E categories engineered to support V3 Radio OCT conduct. A description of the six categories along with a listing of the associated test cases are presented in the following sections.

Figure 41. V3 Radio OCT Categories System Test Test Description The V3 VHF/UHF radio receiver(s) and transmitter(s) will be tested to verify system-level requirements such as: transmitter antenna transfer relay (ATR) and audio level transients, electrical input power, harmonic current emissions, service recovery, and Internet Protocol performance.

Test Case Listing Appendix A.1 describes the System Test Cases listed below.

· SAND – DSB-AM Channel Assignment Performance

· SALT – Audio Level Transients, ATR Transceiver Mode

· SASR – Automatic Service Recovery, Analog Audio

· SATR – Antenna Transfer Relay

· SHCE – Harmonic Current Emissions

· SIPT – Internet Protocol Testing

· SISR – Automatic Service Recovery, IP Audio

· SPWR – Power Requirements

· SYIP – Input Power Operating Range Receiver Test Test Description The V3 VHF/UHF radio receiver(s) will be tested to verify receive path-specific performance requirements, such as: audio output control and distortion, sensitivity, adjacent channel rejection, intermodulation, collocation, dynamic range, and automatic gain control (AGC) stabilization.

Test Case Listing Appendix A.2 describes the Receiver Test Cases listed below.

· RAAC – Audio Output Control

· RAAD – Audio Distortion

· RAAO – Audio Level Output

· RAAS – AGC Stabilization

· RACM – Cross Modulation

· RACO - Collocation

· RACR – Adjacent Channel Signal Rejection

· RADR – Dynamic Range

· RAFR – Audio Frequency Response

· RAIF – Audio Interface

· RAIM – Intermodulation

· RALS – Audio Level Stabilization

· RAOU – Out of Band Signal Rejection

· RASN – Sensitivity & Internal Noise

· RASQ – Squelch

· RSCT – Simultaneous Call Transmissions Transmitter Test Test Description The V3 VHF/UHF radio transmitter(s) will be tested to verify transmit path-specific performance requirements such as: radiated RF output power, adjacent channel power, harmonic distortion, intermodulation, continuous operation, spurious emissions and transmit key time and related interface keying characteristics.

Test Case Listing Appendix A.3 describes the Transmitter Test Cases listed below.

· TAAP – Adjacent Channel Power

· TAAPV – UHF Transmitter Performance within the VHF Band

· TACN – Carrier Induced Audio Noise

· TAHD – Harmonic Distortion

· TAKT – Transmit Key Time

· TAKY – Transmitter Remote Interface Keying

· TALK – Remote & Local Interface Keying

· TAML – Modulation Levels

· TARF – Radiated Output Power

· TASO – Spurious Emissions

· TXHO – Harmonics in the L1 and L5 Bands

· TXIM – Back Intermodulation

· TXTL – In-Band Leakage Physical Inspection & Test Cases Test Description The V3 VHF/UHF radio receiver(s) and transmitter(s) will be tested and inspected to verify performance requirements such as: connectors, displays and indicators, functions and labels, and mechanical construction including unit size and weight.

Test Case Listing Appendix A.4 describes the Physical Inspection & Test Cases listed below.

· PCON – Connectors and Cords

· PDSP – Displays and Indicators

· PELC – Electrical Protection

· PF&L – Functions and Labeling

· PMEC – Mechanical Construction

· PS&W – Size and Weight Analysis Test Cases Analysis Test Case Description The V3 VHF/UHF radio receiver(s) and transmitter(s) requirements allocated to analysis cases will be evaluated by the TET. Types of requirements allocated to these cases include: environmental operating/non-operating conditions, electromagnetic capability (EMC), electrostatic discharge (ESD), mean time between failures (MTBF), and human factors engineering. The Offeror will be required to produce a white paper or a data analysis report which delineates how the Offeror’s radio meets the associated requirement.

Test Case Listing Appendix A.5 describes the Analysis Test Cases listed below.

· AARG – Adjustment Range

· AATR – RF Filter Connectivity

· ACOP – Current Overload Protection

· AEMC – Electromagnetic Compatibility

· AENV – Environmental Testing

· AESD – Electrostatic Discharge

· AETS – ETSI Standards

· AGBS – Grounding Bonding & Shielding

· AHPE – Human Factors

· AIAD – Internal Audio Delay

· AIPE – Internet Protocol Optional Attributes

· AIPM – Internet Protocol Maintenance Supervision

· AIPR – Internet Protocol Recording

· AIPS – Internet Protocol Standards

· AIPU – Internet Protocol Upgradeability

· ALOF – Radio Reference Frequency

· AMMD – A3E DSB-AM Modulation

· AMPP – Materials, Parts, and Processes

· AMTB – Radio Maintainability

· ANSS – Network Supervision System

· APWR – AC/DC Power Interruption & Recovery

· ARID – Radio Identification

· ARIR – Receiver Image Rejection

· ARSL – Receiver Selectivity

· AS&V – Shock & Vibration

· ASAF – Personnel & Equipment Safety

· ASPC – Software Processor & Memory Design

· ATKT – Transmit Key Time & Debounce Circuitry

· AWRK – Workmanship

· AXDC – Transmitter Duty Cycle Demonstration Cases Case Description The V3 radio Offeror will demonstrate that the radio equipment complies with selected requirements assigned as demonstrations. Demonstration test cases focus upon two primary areas:

Monitoring and control requirements that include, but are not limited to, the monitoring and control of receiver and transmitter parameters, data security, data storage, through front panel and MDT software applications.

VHF/UHF radio requirements that include, but are not limited to, radio setup & frequency tuning capabilities, functional IP requirements, and acoustic noise level.

Test Case Listing Appendix A.6 describes the Demonstration Test Cases listed below.

· DANC – Acoustic Noise Levels

· DFPI – Front Panel Radio Interface

· DIPR – IP Mode Functional Requirements

· DMCR – Monitoring and Control

· DMDT – Maintenance Data Terminal: Interface and Software

· DMUT – Receiver Mute Functionality

· DREC – Receive Frequency Adjustability

· DSET – Radio Set Up

· DSPR – Software Upload & Upgrade Processes Verification Requirements Traceability Matrix The OCT VRTM contained in SIR Attachment M03 provides a cross-reference for each requirement to the OCT verification method(s) and test case(s). A brief description of each verification method is provided in Table 41.

Table 41. Verification/Evaluation Methods

Test Case Descriptions Appendix A, Test Case Descriptions, provides a detailed description of each test case grouped by test function. A four or five character alphanumeric name is used to identify each test case. Table 42 delineates a brief description of the test case contents provided through Appendix A1-A6.

Table 42. Test Case Contents

OCT Test Team Description This section provides the overall test management requirements and details for the conduct of the V3 Radio OCT Test Team.

Test Management Organization

Personnel from the Air/Ground Communications Branch at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City, NJ, will lead the conduct of the OCT.

Roles and Responsibilities

This section identifies the various organizations and personnel that will conduct and support the OCT testing.

Test Director

The OCT Test Director is responsible for overseeing all OCT testing. Additional responsibilities include coordination of all testing activities with the FAA Technical Program Manager and the OCT Test Coordinator. In addition, the Test Director is responsible for defining the overall schedule and milestones for OCT testing.

OCT Test Team Coordinator/Lead The OCT Test Team Coordinator/Lead serves as the FAA Point-of-Contact (POC) on all OCT related activities while the Offeror’s subsystem is evaluated at the WJHTC. The Test Team Coordinator/Lead’s responsibilities include receiving and logging the OCT equipment from the Offeror, contacting Offeror representative(s) during OCT testing, scheduling/rescheduling the daily OCT test activities, and reporting (where appropriate) the test results to the OCT Test Director, the TET, and Contracting Officer. The Test Team Coordinator/Lead will make the final determination on test results when conflicts or discrepancies occur.

The Test Team Coordinator/Lead is also responsible for ensuring that the OCT test procedures are followed and that data is collected as specified for data reduction and analyses, identification and documentation of problem areas, and the preparation of required documentation and test reports. The Test Team Coordinator/Lead gathers the information from the various Test Engineers under his or her direction and may, at times, perform functions of the OCT Test Engineers.

OCT Test Engineers The OCT Test Engineers are primarily responsible for executing the test case procedures. Additional activities include preparation of the OCT Test Bed configuration for each test case, providing results of all verification efforts, analyses, inspections, and operational status throughout the OCT tests.

Offeror Roles and Responsibilities The V3 Radio Offeror will assign a single Point-of-Contact (POC) to serve as the focal point for coordination with the FAA Test Team Coordinator/Lead.

The Offeror must have representatives available at the WJHTC to unpack and repack their equipment and supplies, equipment checkout and installation, conduct Familiarization Training for FAA OCT personnel, and perform equipment demonstrations. The Offeror representatives will not witness FAA conducted testing and inspections performed by the OCT Test Team. The Offeror representatives will be available to answer technical questions concerning the design and performance of their subsystem(s) under evaluation.

The Offeror representatives must be at the WJHTC within 30 minutes of being requested during the conduct of their equipment evaluation. A minimum of two (2) Offeror representatives is suggested. It is requested that the Offeror not provide more than four (4) representatives at any one time. The Offeror may elect to reduce the number of onsite representatives after the completion of the Offeror Demonstrations.

OCT Equipment Submittal In accordance with the written instructions of the UHF/VHF radio solicitation, the Offeror shall deliver the following items as the “Submission for OCT”:

Four (4) UHF receivers Four (4) UHF low power transmitters Four (4) UHF high power transmitters Four (4) VHF receivers Four (4) VHF low power transmitters Four (4) VHF high power transmitters At minimum, one (1) spare for each radio type to sustain the Offeror’s UHF and VHF radios during the OCT test period Interface cables as defined in section 5.1.2.1.1 Sufficient quantities of MDT software, with its version number identified at the time of the submittal, if the Offeror’s equipment design necessitates a separate Maintenance Data Terminal Software (MDTS) executable to facilitate the MDT-to-radio equipment operator interface (refer to Section 6.22 in FAA-E-37021) Four (4) printed copies of the Offeror’s demonstration test scripts Eight (8) printed copies of the Offeror’s familiarization training material The following items can be hand carried by the Offeror to the WJHTC and are not considered part of the OCT Equipment:

a) All specialized test equipment (Offeror developed simulators, emulators, non-commercially available test equipment, etc.) required for conduct of the Offeror demonstrations along with any necessary interface cables.

b) An Offeror laptop personal computer (PC) that will host the Maintenance Data Terminal Software (MDTS).

Interface Connectors and Cables

In order to interface with the OCT test bed and to ensure that each OCT test case can be conducted, the "Submission for OCT" radios must consist of the following interfaces and provide the connectors, cables and interface cable assemblies identified below:

a) RF connectors as specified in FAA-E-37201, shall294

b) External, removable RF jumper cables as specified by shall188

c) Electrical connectors as specified through shall300-shall301

d) One (1) AC and one (1) DC power cord per radio as specified by shall392-shall395

e) Receiver remote connector as specified through shall302-shall303

f) Receiver Testbed cables: Two (2) 10-foot interface cables (pig-tailed at test bed end) that will interconnect the receiver remote connector interface to the OCT test bed.

g) Transmitter remote connector as specified through shall304-shall305

h) Low Power Transmitter Testbed cables: Two (2) 10-foot interface cables (pig-tailed at test bed end) that will interconnect the low power transmitter remote connector interface to the OCT test bed.

i) High Power Transmitter Testbed cables: Two (2) 10-foot cables (pig-tailed at test bed end) that will interconnect the high power transmitter remote connector interface to the OCT test bed.

j) Remote IP Cable: One Remote IP cable per radio for connection to the rear panel IP interface (ref: shall277)

k) Local IP Cable: One Local IP cable per radio for connection to the front panel IP interface (ref: shall279) The lack of fully functional interfaces and cables listed above could impede test case data collection, resulting in the possibly of a significant number of test case failures. The OCT test bed will not be modified to adapt to interfaces that are not compliant with FAA-E-37201.

OCT Evaluation Schedule at the WJHTC

The V3 Radio OCT evaluation conducted at the WJHTC is envisioned to consist of a sequence of events lasting thirty (30) business days for each Offeror as depicted in Figure 51, OCT Schedule. Section L in 693KA8-23-R-00005 of this solicitation provides further information on how the Government will schedule each Offeror’s OCT.

Figure 51. OCT Schedule Currently, a test day is defined as eight (8) hours. Offerors must complete their demonstration within eight (8) business days, which includes any time required for resolving anomalies and Unit Under Test (UUT) failures. One day is allocated to Offeror installation and checkout of the OCT Equipment. One day is allocated to Offeror uninstall and repackaging of the OCT Equipment. One day is allocated for Familiarization Training as described in section 5.2.1.2.

The FAA reserves the right to modify the OCT schedule to maximize resources and preserve testing continuity.

At the conclusion of the Offeror’s OCT, the Offeror’s representative(s) must reseal the containers. If at any time during the source selection process the WJHTC requires an Offeror’s container(s) be reopened, the Offeror will be contacted. The unsealing and consequential resealing will be coordinated with the Offeror.

Installation and Checkout The FAA will bring the Offeror’s OCT Equipment out of storage at the beginning of that Offeror’s OCT period. The Offeror must unpack the OCT Equipment. The FAA will inventory the OCT Equipment to verify that it is compliant with declared solicitation items. The Offeror must verify that the inventory listing represents the exact equipment that was delivered, or else notify the Government of any inaccuracies. The Offeror must install and ensure that all V3 Radios (except spares) are operational before officially notifying the Test Team Coordinator/Lead that the Offeror is ready to proceed with OCT events.

Product Familiarization Training The Offeror must provide the OCT Team with adequate familiarization training to sufficiently conduct and facilitate evaluations of the Offeror’s V3 Radio. Familiarization training must be conducted following the installation and checkout of all V3 Radios as delineated in the OCT schedule. There will be one training session. The training session must be designed to familiarize/train up to eight (8) test engineers. The familiarization training session must consist of at least the following:

a) Basic V3 Radio design review at the functional flow diagram level with emphasis on any issues concerning peculiar Offeror equipment and personnel safety.

b) Introduction/familiarization of any software application (if supplied) including logging on, screen familiarization, status logging, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) setup, etc.

c) Instruction on operational control/monitoring of the V3 Radio, including quick reference sheets, event log, etc.

d) Instruction on determination of the operational V3 Radio status via both the front panel and MDT interface.

The training material must, at a minimum, include all of the documentation supporting the instructions above and must be designed to provide quick guidance on V3 Radio operation during the conduct of the OCT.

Demonstrations The Offeror must conduct the demonstrations to the OCT Test Team. Guidelines for the development of the Offeror demonstrations are provided in Appendix A.6.

Conduct during OCT The FAA will direct the Offeror to make the control adjustments to the V3 Radio, when necessary, during the OCT. The Offeror will be instructed on what adjustments are to be made to the V3 Radio and then will be escorted from the test area prior to execution of the test.

If an anomaly is detected during the Offeror’s OCT, the Offeror’s POC will be notified by the OCT Test Coordinator. The Offeror must provide a representative who will be able to address the anomaly through diagnostics and/or substitution of a spare (if required). Only the spares shipped with the OCT Equipment must be used for replacement of malfunctioning V3 Radio equipment.

If an equipment failure is suspected, the test will be suspended and the Offeror representative will be asked to verify the operation of the UUT. If the Offeror representative determines that a failure has occurred, removal and replacement of the V3 Radio will be permitted. After the UUT is deemed operational by the Offeror, the testing will recommence with the amount of regression testing determined necessary by the OCT Team (and coordinated with the Technical Evaluation Team Chairperson). If the Offeror has deemed that a failure of the UUT has not occurred, the Offeror’s diagnosis will be recorded and evaluations will resume.

There will be no exchange of information with the Offeror regarding their status in meeting individual requirements or their status in the OCT process. There will also be no exchange of information with an Offeror regarding the status of other V3 Radio Offerors.

No upgrades or design changes to the Offeror’s V3 Radio hardware or software will be permitted.

Re-packing and Removal

At the conclusion of the OCT for each Offeror, the Offeror’s representative(s) must reseal the containers. If at any time during the source selection process the WJHTC requires an Offeror’s container(s) be reopened, the Offeror will be contacted. The unsealing and consequential resealing will be coordinated with the Offeror.

Configuration Management

WJHTC personnel perform verification of the wiring, testing, and subsequent configuration of the OCT test beds prior to the receipt of any Offeror radio. This includes both a functional configuration audit and a physical configuration audit. The OCT test beds are benchmarked against known standards of voltage, time, frequency, power, etc., and such standards will be readily available for calibration or verification purposes in the event that it is required. OCT Test Engineers will perform system configuration management (CM). At the start of each test day, the OCT Test Engineers will verify the status of the OCT test bed in use. A CM checklist will be completed to verify the hardware and software configurations and ensure that the operational status is consistent for each test.

In conjunction with Offeror installation and checkout, the OCT Test Coordinator will inventory the Offeror’s “Submission for OCT.” Included in this process, the serial numbers, revision levels, and/or software versions for each radio is be recorded.

For security and control purposes, all test equipment hand carried by the Offeror will be logged prior to entering and exiting the A/G communications laboratories.

Test Bed Configuration

Most test activities are conducted using automated test beds under the control of a dedicated testbed computer. The test beds contain application-specific software that controls automated test equipment within the test bed. Interface drivers are provided through the National Instruments system of libraries for test equipment, where applicable. The National Instruments software libraries provide modules that are compatible with, and can be linked to, custom software developed by the FAA. Figure 52 shows a functional block diagram of test bed capabilities.

Figure 52. Radio OCT Test Bed Functional Block Diagram

A suite of discrete test equipment gives the test bed(s) the ability to perform a complete audio analysis, timing characterizations, and radio-specific functional verification as specified in the OCT VRTM. The test bed accommodates individual radio configurations as specified by the product specification, FAA-E-37021.

Tests can be controlled by the test bed’s PC in either manual or automatic mode. Each test bed PC will also collect and store test data.

OCT Security Controls

The following sections define the security controls that will be in place at the WJHTC during the OCT.

A/G Communications Laboratory Access to the WJHTC Laboratory will comply with established facility security processes. First level access is through the guarded main entrance, which is only permitted by having a valid FAA Badge or a valid Visitor Badge. Visitor badges are obtained at the Security Office located just outside the main gate. Second level access to the Radio Laboratory will be permissible through key lock access.

If Offeror presence is required during OCT conduct, the Offeror representative will be escorted by a member of the OCT Team to the laboratory. A member of the OCT Team will be present at all times while an Offeror representative is in the laboratory.

During OCT evaluation, only one Offeror will be examined at one time. No Offeror will be provided the opportunity to view the OCT Equipment from any other Offeror.

Security of Offeror Equipment and Data Each Offeror’s OCT Equipment Submittal will be secured in a locked area. Only the Test Director and Test Coordinator/Lead will have access to these areas and cabinets. The test results (i.e. the data) from each day’s testing will be saved on a removable media and locked in a separate file cabinet for each Offeror. Test Data Sheets will be stored in the same locked cabinets. No data will be permanently logged on hard drives located in the laboratories. The Offeror will not be able to review their data nor any other Offeror’s data collected during the OCT process.

OCT Test Process

The evaluation of all Offerors’ equipment dictates the implementation and execution of a fair, impartial, and unbiased test process. The following subsections depict that process.

OCT Entry Criteria In order to be evaluated by the OCT Test Team, an Offeror must fulfill the following entry-level criteria:

All equipment, documentation, and interfaces required for the OCT Equipment are onsite at the WJHTC.

Offeror representatives are onsite at the WJHTC.

Offeror installation and checkout of all equipment has been completed.

All Offeror hand carried equipment is onsite at the WJHTC.

The OCT Test Team personnel are trained by the Offeror on the UUTs.

Failure to meet the above criteria may result in a delay in the start of OCT, a failure of one or more OCT test requirements, or OCT disqualification.

Test Execution A test session is defined as the conduct of one or more test cases as described in Appendix A, Test Case Descriptions. The Government will execute the OCT over the course of multiple test sessions. The Government will only test one Offeror at a time. Operational status of the UUT and the OCT Test Bed will be verified by the Government daily, before the commencement of any test session.

Exit Criteria The OCT exit criteria for an Offeror will consist of the completion of all OCT tests, inspections, and demonstrations conducted at WJHTC and the analyses reviews conducted in FAA Headquarters.

OCT Reports

The OCT Test Team will prepare an OCT Test Report for each Offeror who undergoes the OCT. Each OCT Test Report includes the following information:

Results from the FAA-conducted tests Results from the FAA-conducted inspections Results from the Offeror-conducted demonstrations Distribution of the completed OCT Test Report will be limited to the FAA Contracting Officer and the TET for award considerations as described in Section M of 693KA8-23-R-00005.

Acronyms and Glossary

Test Case Descriptions

System Test Cases Test Case Objectives:

The System Test Cases focus on verifying requirements of the V3 receivers and transmitters when operated as part of the NAS system. All test cases apply to both the transmitter and receiver unless otherwise noted.

Table of Contents:

SAND – DSB-AM Channel Assignment Performance SAND Objectives: The objective of the SAND test case is to assess the results of test cases that evaluate radio performance when configured for 25 kHz channel assignments (UHF and VHF frequency bands) and 8.33 kHz channel assignments (VHF-only frequency band). The following requirements will be evaluated by this test:

SAND Test Criteria: All radios will successfully pass the SAND test case if performance proves DSB-AM operation using 25 kHz channel spacing (10) DSB-AM operation using 8.33 kHz channel spacing (11) SAND Test Approach: The SAND test approach is to analyze the test results of a select set of test cases which pre-dominantly rely upon test automation. They are:

Shall 10

1) SYIP – Input Power Operating Range (including: RASN, TAHD)

2) RAAD – Audio Distortion

3) RACO – Collocation

4) RACR – Adjacent Channel Signal Rejection

5) RAFR – Audio Frequency Response

6) RAIM – Intermodulation

7) TAAP – Adjacent Channel Power

8) TAAPV – UHF Transmitter Performance within the VHF Band

9) TACN – Carrier Induced Audio Noise

10) TASO – Spurious Emissions

11) TXIM – Back Intermodulation Shall 11

1) SYIP – Input Power Operating Range (including: RASN, TAHD)

2) RAAD – Audio Distortion

3) RACR – Adjacent Channel Signal Rejection

4) RAFR – Audio Frequency Response

5) TAAP – Adjacent Channel Power

6) TASO – Spurious Emissions

7) TXIM – Back Intermodulation SAND Data Analysis Methods: The SAND test case applies a ‘Pass or Fail’ assessment of the test cases listed under the Test Approach heading. All test cases denoted under shall 10 and shall 11 must pass in order to receive credit for the ‘shall’ requirement under review. Thus, one can characterize SAND as a Boolean ‘AND’ gate.

SALT – Audio Level Transients, ATR Transceiver Mode SALT Objectives: The objective of the SALT test is to characterize the receiver’s audio level transients when in an ATR transceiver configuration. The following requirements will be evaluated by this test:

* Partially verified by this test case. Also see RASQ test case.

SALT Test Criteria: The receiver will successfully pass the SALT test case if The receiver remote audio level transients are 20.0 dB below the audio alignment level under any operating condition or configuration with the alignment level ranging between −25 dBm to +10 dBm (86) SALT Test Approach: SALT is a manual bench test using a receiver and transmitter that are configured in an ATR transceiver mode as depicted by FAA-E-37021, Figure 6.3: Conceptual Illustration of Transceiver Configuration.

In preparation for SALT data collection, test personnel conduct a Load Calibration to calibrate the transmitter output power as depicted in Figure A.11. The initial test steps for the load calibration utilize the Signal Generator, RF Cable #6 and the Spectrum Analyzer for adjusting the Signal Generator’s output level to +10 dBm. Once complete, all parts depicted in Figure A.11 are connected to measure and record the power level detected by the Spectrum Analyzer. Load attenuation is calculated from the measured values.

Figure A.11 SALT Load Calibration

Afterwards, the RF power meter depicted in Figure A.13 is set to read transmit (TX) output power in Watts using the Load Attenuation value calculated in previous test steps.

Next, receiver calibration is conducted as depicted by Figure A.12. Electrical power is applied to both the receiver and transmitter depicted in Figure A.12. Test personnel configure the Audio Analyzer for a 50 Ω output, Slow RMS Detector setting to apply averaging of the displayed audio signal power and Low Pass Filter application. The analyzer’s output is set to ground and the input to FLOAT; frequency is set 1004 Hz; with a voltage level set to 1.42 vrms (2 Vpk) to produce a 1 Vpk (0.707 vrms) signal referenced to a 50 ohm load.

RF test cables are connected between radios and test instrumentation while ensuring that the transmitter is not keyed. Once completed, the RF Signal Generator is set to produce a –75 dBm RF signal at the receiver input, 30% amplitude modulation depth with an external 1004 Hz tone at the desired RF frequency. The transmitter RF output remains OFF. The Receiver under test remote audio output signals “RX-Audio +” and “RX-Audio ” are connected to the 600 ohm feed-through termination connected across the HIGH and LOW INPUT connectors on the Audio Analyzer.

Figure A.12 SALT Receiver Audio Calibration

The Signal Generator’s RF output is switched ON. The Audio Analyzer [LOG/LIN] key is pressed to display remote audio output level in power units (dBm). The receiver under test remote audio level output (via MDT or front panel control commands) is adjusted to -8 dBm (or -25 dBm or +10 dBm) as shown in the audio analyzer right display. Peak-peak audio voltages are used as the reference for audio transient data collections.

Approximate voltage reference measurements are as follows;

Figure A.13 SALT Receiver Audio Transient Measurement The oscilloscope, transmitter load, measuring receiver, and a power meter are connected as depicted in Figure A.13. Here, the HP 8902A Measuring Receiver is set to monitor the transmitter modulation percentage. Next, the tester sets up the Audio Analyzer to provide a variable audio input (-25 dBm to +10 dBm) to the transmitter under test.