DESCRIPTION:

The VIAVI ALT-9000 is a portable RF radio altimeter test platform developed for comprehensive testing, troubleshooting, calibration, and validation of aircraft radio altimeter systems across commercial, military, rotary, and business aviation environments.

Designed for flight line maintenance, avionics troubleshooting, depot maintenance, and return-to-service validation, the ALT-9000 provides true RF time-delay and path-loss simulation for accurate testing of modern FMCW, pulse, LPI, CARA, and next-generation radar altimeter systems.

The platform supports complete closed-loop radio altimeter system testing, allowing technicians to isolate faults to the antenna system, coaxial cabling, LRUs, or cockpit indicators without unnecessary component replacement or system swapping.

The ALT-9000 supports testing of:

• FMCW radio altimeters
• Pulse radio altimeters
• Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) systems
• Combined Altitude Radar Altimeter (CARA) systems
• Next-generation radio altimeter systems
• TCAS support systems
• GPWS/TAWS interfacing systems

The platform is engineered for:

• radio altimeter troubleshooting
• flight line diagnostics
• return-to-service validation
• avionics maintenance
• RF system analysis
• radar altitude simulation
• antenna and coax verification
• receiver sensitivity testing
• dynamic altitude profile simulation

Its fibre optic delay-line architecture allows support for virtually all radio altimeter formats while maintaining highly accurate RF delay and path-loss modelling required for modern avionics validation environments.

The ALT-9000 supports direct connection to aircraft-installed systems through TX/RX antenna couplers or direct-connect interfaces at the unit-under-test RF connectors. Portable ruggedised construction and battery operation support deployment across ramp, hangar, and depot maintenance environments.

Technical Specifications

Supported Radio Altimeter Types

• FMCW radio altimeters
• Pulse radio altimeters
• LPI radio altimeters
• CARA systems
• Next-generation radar altimeters

RF Frequency Coverage

• 4.20 GHz to 4.40 GHz

Simulated Altitude Range

• 5 ft to 10,000 ft in 5 ft increments
• Extended Range Option:
  • 16,000 ft
  • 25,000 ft

Minimum simulated altitude depends on interconnecting cable delay.

RF Measurement Functions

• TX power measurement
• TX frequency measurement
• FM deviation analysis
• Sweep rate analysis
• Pulse width measurement
• PRF measurement

RF Power Offset

• +20 dB power level offset from nominal loop loss

RF Interfaces

• Direct-connect RF testing
• Antenna coupler testing
• TX/RX loop simulation

User Interface

• Large touchscreen display
• Graphical RF parameter display
• Touchscreen operation

Platform Construction

• Portable ruggedised enclosure
• Flight line deployable design
• Benchtop operational support
• Battery powered operation

Environmental

• Operating temperature:
  • -10°C to +55°C
• Storage temperature:
  • -30°C to +70°C

Physical Characteristics

Test Set Only

• 8.4 in × 18.6 in × 16.3 in
• 32 lb (14.5 kg)

Transit Configuration

• 16.4 in × 33.7 in × 28.5 in
• 88 lb (39.9 kg) complete kit

Platform Configuration Options

Core Platform Variants

Available operational configurations include:

• Standard ALT-9000 flight line configuration
• Extended altitude range configuration
• CARA-compatible configurations
• F-15 keyed adapter configurations

Functional Capability Options

Available platform capabilities include:

• Static altitude simulation
• Dynamic altitude profile simulation
• RX sensitivity testing
• RF parameter analysis
• LPI radio altimeter tracking
• GPWS/TAWS support testing

Operational Deployment

The ALT-9000 supports:

• flight line maintenance
• depot maintenance
• avionics troubleshooting
• return-to-service validation
• hangar operations
• RF diagnostics
• installed system verification

Standard Accessories

Typical supplied accessories include:

• Transit case
• Battery pack
• Power supply
• RF coaxial cables
• Antenna couplers
• TNC adapters
• Operational documentation

Optional Accessories

Available optional accessories include:

• Extended range capability
• Keyed adapter connection kits
• Additional RF interface accessories
• Maintenance documentation
• Aircraft-specific integration accessories

Key Features

• Universal radio altimeter flight line test platform
• Fibre optic RF delay-line architecture
• FMCW and pulse radio altimeter support
• LPI and CARA system compatibility
• Dynamic altitude simulation capability
• Closed-loop installed system testing
• Direct-connect and antenna coupler operation
• RF power and frequency analysis
• Receiver sensitivity testing
• Flight line deployable ruggedised design
• Battery powered operation
• GPWS/TAWS support system testing
• Touchscreen graphical interface
• Software-upgradable platform architecture
• Commercial and military avionics compatibility