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The Receiver Adapter Interface (RAI) Working Group
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As background, the DoD ATS
Framework Working Group is responsible for defining a standard framework for
DoD ATS that incorporates industry standards wherever possible. The
Working Group is chartered by the DoD’s Executive Directorate (ED) for ATS
to support the following goals: reduce total cost of ownership of DoD
ATS; provider greater flexibility to the warfighter through Joint Service
interoperable ATS; reduce logistics footprint; and improve the quality of
test. The framework consists of approximately twenty-five key elements
related to ATS networking, ATS run-time systems, TPS development and
execution, and instrument control and interoperability. These
elements, along with the standards that satisfy them, are being documented
in an annex of the DoD Information Technology (IT) Standards Repository (DISR),
which is used to guide DoD acquisitions. The RAI WG is being
established to help formally identify which standard(s) will satisfy the RAI
element.
The RAI element provides an interface between the station controller and the instruments. It allows test programs to describe tests in terms of high-level actions, which are translated into instrument level commands and communicated to instruments. This will allow test programs to be platform, resource and hardware independent, and to provide for greater instrument interchangeability in ATE. One of the first tasks of the RAI WG will be to review the definition of the RAI element and refine it as necessary. One issue raised in replies to our announcement was the relationship of the RAI WG with other groups, such as ATML, IVI, and IEEE-1641. The RAI WG is intended to leverage these current working groups, not replace them. The RAI WG will investigate and participate in these standards committees to help ensure that the RAI requirements can be satisfied by one, or a collection, of these standards. As such, the RAI WG will help refine the definition of the RAI key element, relay this definition to the appropriate standards committees, and work with the committees to ensure that the resulting standards meet the RAI requirements. When complete, the updated RAI definition, and the standard(s) that satisfy it will be included in the DISR. The Board of Directors of the Test and Diagnostics Consortium (TDC) decided to allow the TDC to support the RAI WG. The TDC will provide administrative support to the WG for setting up meetings, distributing information, and providing anti-trust and intellectual property protection. The DoD is a member of the TDC, but paying membership fees to TDC is not required for participation in the RAI WG. It should be emphasized that this is not the mission of the DoD ATS Framework WG nor the TDC to create standards. These two groups realize that there are many well-established organizations that do this already, and should be utilized for current and future standards development. The purpose of the RAI WG is to define the RAI element and to liaise with all the appropriate standards organizations, so that the RAI element can be satisfied.
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