Weapon interface system evaluation apparatus and method

An apparatus for evaluating the operational status of a weapon interface system for coupling an aircraft controller to a plurality of weapon systems and a corresponding plurality of weapon ejectors, the weapon interface system having a weapon system interface unit, a power switching unit, and a power distribution box, the weapon system interface unit being coupled to the power switching unit and the power distribution box and having a first port for communicating with the aircraft controller and a second port for communicating with one of the plurality of weapon systems, the power switching unit being coupled to the weapon system interface unit and to the power distribution box and having a port for communicating with and providing power to the one of the plurality of weapn systems and a corresponding one of the plurality of ejectors, and the power distribution box being coupled to an external power supply, said apparatus comprising:

• input/output means removably coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit for generating a first test signal and providing the first test signal to the first port of the weapon system interface unit;
• and
• processing means mounted in the weapon interface system and operatively coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit and to a selected portion of the weapon interface system to be tested for generating a second test signal in response to the first test signal and communicating the second test signal to said selected portion to cause said selected portion to communicate a response signal to said processing means corresponding to the state of said selected portion, and for generating an output signal in response to and corresponding to the response signal and communicating the output signal to said input/output means, said processing means including a central processing unit mounted in the weapon system interface unit and operatively coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit and to the selected portion of the weapon interface system to be tested, and said processing means including simulation circuitry operatively coupled to said central processing unit and to said selected portion of the weapon interface system to be tested for selectively receiving the second test signal from said central processing unit and communicating said second test signal to said selected portion;
• said input/output means including means responsive to the output signal for indicating the state of said selected portion.

An apparatus for evaluating the operational status of a weapon interface system for coupling an aircraft controller to a plurality of weapon systems and a corresponding plurality of weapon ejectors, the weapon interface system having a weapon system interface unit, a power switching unit, and a power distribution box, the weapon system interface unit being coupled to the power switching unit and the power distribution box and having a first port for communicating with the aircraft controller and a second port for communicating with one of the plurality of weapon systems, the power switching unit being coupled to the weapon system interface unit and to the power distribution box and having a port for communicating with and providing power to the one of the plurality of weapn systems and a corresponding one of the plurality of ejectors, and the power distribution box being coupled to an external power supply, said apparatus comprising:

• input/output means removably coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit for generating a first test signal and providing the first test signal to the first port of the weapon system interface unit;
• and
• processing means mounted in the weapon interface system and operatively coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit and to a selected portion of the weapon interface system to be tested for generating a second test signal in response to the first test signal and communicating the second test signal to said selected portion to cause said selected portion to communicate a response signal to said processing means corresponding to the state of said selected portion, and for generating an output signal in response to and corresponding to the response signal and communicating the output signal to said input/output means, said processing means including a central processing unit mounted in the weapon system interface unit and operatively coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit and to the selected portion of the weapon interface system to be tested, and said processing means including simulation circuitry operatively coupled to the contral processing unit and to the selected portion of the weapon interface system to be tested for selectively receiving the response signal from said selected portion and communicating the response signal to said central processing unit;
• said input/output means including means responsive to the output signal for indicating the state of said selected portion.

An apparatus for evaluating the operational status of a weapon interface system for coupling an aircraft controller to a plurality of weapon systems and a corresponding plurality of weapon ejectors, the weapon interface system having a weapon system interface unit, a power switching unit, and a power distribution box, the weapon system interface unit being coupled to the power switching unit and the power distribution box and having a first port for communicating with the aircraft controller and a second port for communicating with one of the plurality of weapon systems, the power switching unit being coupled to the weapon system interface unit and to the power distribution box and having a port for communicating with and providing power to the one of the plurality of weapn systems and a corresponding one of the plurality of ejectors, and the power distribution box being coupled to an external power supply, said apparatus comprising:

• input/output means removably coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit for generating a first test signal and providing the first test signal to the first port of the weapon system interface unit;
• processing means mounted in the weapon interface system and operatively coupled to the first port of the weapon system interface unit and to a selected portion of the weapon interface system to be tested for generating a second test signal in response to the first test signal and communicating the second test signal to said selected portion to cause said selected portion to communicate a response signal to said processing means corresponding to the state of said selected portion, and for generating an output signal in response to and corresponding to the response signal and communicating the output signal to said input/output means;
• and
• coupling means for detachably coupling the second port of the weapon system interface unit to the first port of the weapon system interface unit, said coupling means receiving the second test signal from the second port of the weapon system interface unit and communicating the second test signal to the first port of the weapon system interface unit as the response signal;
• said input/output means including means responsive to the output signal for indicating the state of said selected portion.

A method for evaluating the operational status of a weapon interface system for coupling an aircraft controller to a plurality of weapon systems and a corresponding plurality of weapon ejectors, the weapon interface system having a weapon system interface unit, a power switching unit, and a power distribution box, the weapon system interface unit being coupled to the power switching unit and the power distribution box and having a first port for communicating with the aircraft controller and a second port for communicating with one of the plurality of weapon systems, the power switching unit being coupled to the weapon system interface unit and to the power distribution box and having a port for communicating with and providing power to the one of the plurality of weapon systems and a corresponding one of the plurality of ejectors, and the power distribution box being coupled to an external power supply, said method comprising:

• coupling an input/output device to the first port of the weapon system interface unit;
• generating a first test signal and providing said first test signal to the first port of the weapon system interface unit using the input/output device;
• providing a processing device in the weapon interface system;
• generating a second test signal using the processing device in response to said first test signal and communicating the second test signal to a selected portion of the weapon interface system to cause said selected portion to communicate a response signal to said processing device corresponding to the state of said selected portion;
• coupling the second port of the weapon system interface unit to the first port of the weapon system interface unit to cause the second test signal to be communicated from the second port of the weapon system interface unit to the first port of the weapon system interface unit as a portion of the response signal;
• generating an output signal using said processing device in response to and corresponding to said response signal and communicating the output signal to said input/output device;
• and
• indicating the state of said selected portion using said input/output device in response to the output signal.