The evolution of test and measurement instruments

The next evolution of test and measurement in the military and aerospace sector lies in the convergence of digital twins, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and embedded computing. These technologies are transforming how engineers simulate, evaluate, and sustain critical systems across their entire life cycle.

Modern defense and aerospace systems are more complex, compact, and connected than ever before. The demand for high-frequency, software-defined, and mixed-signal electronics has reshaped how engineers verify performance and ensure mission readiness. Traditional lab-based testing is giving way to data-driven, continuous validation processes that extend from the factory floor to the field.

"Testing is no longer the end of the process," says Jeff Miner, product line manager for advanced integrated systems at Spectrum Control in Fairview, Pa. "It’s the heartbeat of mission performance."

High-frequency and mixed signals

As radar, communications, and electronic warfare (EW) systems move into higher-frequency domains, testing must account for the nuances of signal integrity, environmental variation, and electromagnetic compatibility.

"The demand for higher-frequency operation is no longer theoretical; it’s here," Spectrum Control’s Miner says. "As missions push into the millimeter-wave spectrum, range still limits some applications, but the rapid availability of commercial chipsets, system-in-package (SiP) solutions, and SMT-based assemblies is accelerating adoption across the mil-aero ecosystem. These technologies are opportunities and threats, requiring new validation approaches."

Spectrum Control is redefining testing approaches to address the market trend, Miner says. "Traditional connectorized brassboard setups can’t scale to these frequencies or levels of integration. Instead, we’re moving toward compact, digitally controlled RF assemblies with embedded calibration, configuration, and self-diagnostic capabilities down to the component level," Miner says. "FPGAs and onboard memory now store environmental compensation data, enabling long-term adaptability, even in the field.”

Embedded computing in test and measurement

Beyond high-frequency and mixed-signal testing, embedded computing increasingly is playing an central role in modern military and aerospace validation processes. Engineers are leveraging embedded systems not only to control and monitor devices under test but also to create realistic, high-fidelity simulations of devices under test. This approach enables testing to move closer to actual operational conditions, and improving confidence in performance before deployment.

"Years ago, a variation of the VMEbus standard called VXI was used extensively in test and measurement," says Chris Ciufo, president and chief technology officer of General Micro Systems (GMS) in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. "Today, it is commonplace to either use similar embedded systems to test the actual embedded systems or use commercial-temperature versions of the 'flyable' embedded system. This approach lets engineers exercise the deployable system using the same processing horsepower and I/O, and it enables evaluation of early prototypes or first-article units before low-rate initial production - eliminating the need for a separate, third type of test environment."

Ciufo says that by using embedded computing in this way, test engineers can replicate mission-like conditions, provide controlled forcing functions, and capture precise performance data. This capability dovetails with the broader trend toward continuous, data-driven testing, bridging the gap between laboratory evaluation and field operations.

AI in test

As artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities continue to improve, industry experts are able to take advantage of where these technologies shine: recognizing patterns and automating processes.

"The next wave is AI-assisted testing," says Spectrum Control's Miner. "Generative AI will bridge data from the test bench to the device under test (DUT) to identify flaws and optimize calibration in real time. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are reshaping how test systems process and interpret data. Instead of static, sequential testing, AI-enhanced tools adapt dynamically based on previous results, identifying anomalies, predicting failures, and even optimizing calibration in real time."

Spectrum Control’s engineers are embedding digital control and calibration logic directly into these devices, allowing them to self-adjust for factors such as temperature drift, vibration, and radiation exposure.

Digital twins enhance this process by simulating real-world signal behavior before hardware is ever fabricated. Engineers can validate RF and mixed-signal designs virtually, then use embedded test modules to confirm those predictions during live operation. This integration of modeling and measurement shortens design cycles while improving field reliability.

"We’re developing a family of RF SiP components that embody these concepts. Our flagship millimeter-wave up- and down-converters, housed in compact BGA packages, integrate embedded digital subsystems and memory for calibration, adaptability, and performance monitoring during acceptance testing and in operation," Miner says. "They are more than components. They enable responsive, intelligent systems. Our SiP don’t just pass tests - they participate in them. Every insight we’ve discussed, including miniaturization, digital control, and AI readiness, has been shaped by the development of this SiP family, bringing us closer to truly responsive mission systems that adapt in real time."

Field testing

The growing use of rugged high-performance embedded computers (HPECs) has bridged the gap between laboratory test systems and deployed systems.

"Field-deployable systems increasingly mirror what’s used in the lab,” explains GMS's Ciufo. "Rugged embedded computing enable test and measurement systems to travel with the aircraft, the vehicle, or the sensor suite itself. That’s how you get real-time, mission-relevant data. One notable key benefit to rugged, compact, and high-performance computing is the ability to test deployed systems at the forward depot or in the field without having to send units back CONUS or back to the original rugged system supplier."

Ciufo notes that the GMS X9 Spider modules are capable of built-in self-test and continuous health monitoring, offering a path toward on-platform diagnostics and real-time test data collection. When integrated with a digital twin, these systems create a continuous feedback loop - allowing engineers to model performance, analyze operational conditions, and push updates or optimizations remotely.

Ciufo says that industry has added Joint Test Action Group - a standardized interface (IEEE 1149.1) used for testing and debugging integrated circuits and boards - as a way to test very complex integrated circuits (ICs).

"This was a necessary step as the ICs got so complex that they out-power any test equipment not based upon the same IC or better. Similarly, in the embedded space, the growth of more sophisticated built-in self-test (BIT), continuous BIT, and initiated BIT provides an opportunity for an embedded system to test and diagnose itself. All of GMS’s X9 Spider family modules, for example, include extensive on-board sensors that work in parallel with intelligent ICs - such as Ethernet controllers or the CPU(s) themselves - in the systems to report functional status such as real-time health and/or I/O availability. Our ReliHealth initiative, for example, builds a useful API for our system users to access key sensors and functional blocks as a way of testing and predicting the state of GMS hardware."

Software solutions

The proliferation of software-defined architectures in avionics, autonomous systems, and weapons has made software verification and validation (V&V) an integral part of test and measurement.

"Software reliability now defines mission success," says Jim McElroy, vice president of sales and marketing at LDRA in Wirral, U.K. "Verification can’t wait until late-stage testing - it must be automated, continuous, and standards-driven from the start."

He continues, "As we all see in the market, software complexity is accelerating, while at the same time, the demands on functional safety and security compliance are also increasing. As a result, software V&V is critical to overall 'system' assurance just like hardware testing, flight test, etc."

LDRA’s tools enable developers to perform static and dynamic analysis, unit testing, and HIL or SIL testing against standards such as DO-178C for avionics and DO-326B for cyber security. The test data these tools generate also supports AI-driven analytics, helping identify failure patterns or vulnerabilities early in development.

"For example, we have a team of experts in LDRA certification services that have helped customers number one understand the current status of these standards, analyze any gaps in their current process, and establish a plan for addressing compliance going forward," McElroy says.

Digital twins play a key role in the meshing of embedded systems and software. A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical system that mirrors its behavior, configuration, and operational conditions. Engineers can feed test data from embedded systems into the digital twin, allowing them to simulate complex scenarios, predict failures, and evaluate design changes without physically stressing the hardware. This virtual modeling enables safer, faster, and more cost-effective testing, while providing insights that inform both software and hardware improvements.

When combined with a digital twin, automated V&V environments can validate software updates against simulated hardware before deployment - reducing risk and improving compliance with safety and airworthiness standards.

Machine learning algorithms trained on sensor and test data also can recognize performance degradation long before it becomes a failure, supporting predictive maintenance and improved mission availability. When integrated with a system’s digital twin, these models can simulate potential fault scenarios, evaluate system responses, and optimize performance parameters before they’re implemented in the field.

"From the tooling perspective, teams should look at solutions that can help them throughout the entire development and verification process, automating wherever possible in terms of software requirements traceability, code analysis, test generation and execution, results capture, and compliance evidence reporting," explains McElroy.

Continuous testing

Modern test systems are designed not just for qualification but also for continuous life cycle support. The combination of embedded diagnostics, AI analytics, and digital twins enables military operators to maintain a real-time understanding of system health.

Ciufo says this shift blurs the traditional line between design validation and operational maintenance. "With today’s compute power and data pipelines, test and measurement have become a living process," he says. "You’re always verifying, always improving, whether the system is on a test stand or in flight."

Miner adds that Spectrum Control’s adaptive RF modules are designed to perform continuous self-calibration and interference mitigation, even in contested electromagnetic environments - a growing priority for modern defense systems.

"Defense contractors are now designing for a battlefield that’s as much electromagnetic as it is physical," says Miner. "As systems become more connected and spectrum-aware, the volume and velocity of test data have exploded. Modern test environments must capture vast amounts of measurement data, as well as process and interpret it fast enough to be actionable. That need for data richness and speed is reshaping how testing is structured. It is evolving from long, discrete validation steps to more continuous, adaptive processes."

He continues, "Reliability remains non-negotiable, especially in the harsh environments where these systems operate. What’s changing is the balance: defense programs are looking for faster, lower-cost test cycles without compromising ruggedness or mission assurance. To address the change, testing must now be inherently digital, scalable, and ready for AI ingestion. For example, datasets generated during qualification can feed learning systems that improve future designs."

A digital future

Digital twins and AI-driven analytics are no longer emerging concepts - they’re fast becoming the backbone of next-generation test and measurement. By linking hardware, software, and data throughout the life cycle, these technologies allow engineers to model, predict, and validate system behavior with reliable accuracy.

The convergence of these technologies enables test and measurement to become an intelligent, connected, and predictive function. Continuous data capture, automated analysis, and virtual modeling provide actionable insights that inform design, deployment, and maintenance. In this new paradigm, the value of test and measurement lies not only in verifying system performance but in enabling mission assurance, resilience, and operational readiness across the life cycle.

As military and aerospace systems continue to integrate RF, digital, and software elements at higher levels of complexity, the value of intelligent, connected test and measurement will only grow.

The future of test and measurement is not just about capturing data - it’s about making it meaningful, actionable, and increasingly automated. Across the defense and aerospace ecosystem, the marriage of digital twins, embedded computing, and AI-enabled analytics is reshaping testing from a checkpoint into a continuous, predictive, and mission-critical capability.