The tools used to acquire, store and transmit flight test data – flight test instrumentation (FTI), data acquisition networks and telemetry – are a vital part of the aerospace sector. These tools require a high level of maturity because they must be reliable and accurate.

Awareness is mounting regarding the importance of protecting data-at-rest (DAR) on deployed military platforms.

Real-time monitoring during test flights demands FTI equipment that provides highly accurate, comprehensive data, which means that engineers adhere to specific design parameters.

It’s not just about shielding data drives from shock and vibration; designers also are looking for the latest in speed and capacity, and want encryption to protect data at rest, and security to foil tampering.

New commercial and military aircraft production is preceded by extensive flight tests to prove the performance of the aircraft and its sub-systems.

Modern aircraft flight test instrumentation system design revolves around defining the most efficient method to collect aircraft data for both on board recording and real-time telemetry transmission.

Test and measurement equipment for the flightline is becoming smaller, lighter in weight, less power-hungry, and requires fewer maintenance personnel than ever before.

The company’s Aerospace Instrumentation group presented its system-level flight test instrumentation (FTI) to hundreds of delegates at this year’s show.