RTX Customer Overview
Raytheon's Patriot Missile System, the foundation of the U.S.
Army's integrated Air & Missile Defense architecture, is a longrange,
all-altitude, all-weather system fielded to defeat advanced threats including aircraft,
tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. Originally designed in 1978, the system uses a
complex test station to validate and verify the on-board guidance systems and aeronautical
performance of the missiles. As these hardware-centric systems aged, their lack of serviceability
and reliability mandated that Raytheon adopt new technologies that would allow for test station
support long into the future. Raytheon chose RTX as the software solution that would meet the
requirements of its client - The U.S. Army.
The Challenge
The test stations, which ensure that Patriot missiles are
precise enough to hit targets moving at five times the
speed of sound, were designed in the late 70's primarily
with proprietary hardware, along with a proprietary
software language called RATEL hosted on a DEC
MicroVAX - a multi-user data-processing system
that was retro-fitted for test equipment.
Over time, the hardware and software needed
maintenance and support as parts wore out or failed
and as the Army introduced new product requirements.
Raytheon, experiencing increasing difficulty finding
knowledgeable technicians to work on the equipment,
faced the challenge of migrating to a less-costly system
that would be supported by today's technology. On top
of that, the U.S. Army required that the new system be
supportable until 2032.
Raytheon found that migrating the test system to one
that is software driven – with fewer moving parts and a
more robust interface, rather than one that is hardware
driven, would offer them more-simplified maintenance
and the future compatibility needed to meet the
Army's needs. Since reliability was also critical,
Raytheon knew that a Windows-based operating
system, a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product,
would be most likely to offer them ongoing support
and a large talent pool of technicians.
But unlike the hardware-based system, the
Windows operating system introduced the problem
of unpredictable interrupts. Raytheon then needed
to control the timing of Windows interrupts to
accommodate for fluctuations in processing speed to
achieve optimum performance and accurate calibration
of Patriot Missiles. In other words, it was challenged
with the need to integrate deterministic, interrupt-driven
processing into the Windows operating system of the
test stations.
The IntervalZero Solution
Upon researching technologies that could offer the needed control over Windows operating systems as well as mission-critical real-time determinism, Raytheon chose RTX. CustomerSuccess Raytheon Company - Patriot Missile Test Station. The reliability and unparalleled performance of RTX extension for Windows, along with the company's long history, stable growth, and training capabilities, made IntervalZero the obvious solution. RTX enabled Raytheon to develop within the familiar Windows environment and create a stable and controllable application with sub-microsecond latencies. Raytheon reduced its system cost by eliminating proprietary hardware and associated maintenance. The Patriot Missile System is now the primary airdefense system deployed by nine nations worldwide. Raytheon's ongoing support for missile test stations is ensuring that this defense technology is upgradable and
supportable for years to come. In addition, costly longterm hardware maintenance has been significantly reduced. Patriot is also part of a U.S. two-tiered defense against the escalating tactical ballistic missile threat.
For More Information
To learn about IntervalZero’s Embedded Products or to schedule a demo, please contacts us at
Email us at : mail@signalconditioningsolutions.com
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