Teradyne and Marconi Selenia Communications Complete Digital Test Unit Integration for Military/Aerospace Programs.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WESTFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2003

Teradyne's (NYSE: TER) Assembly Test Division, a global leader in electronics testing and production solutions, announced today that it has completed the integration of its powerful and flexible M910 digital test instrument (DTI) into the Marconi Selenia Communications general purpose automatic test equipment (GPATE) platform. The project is part of Marconi Selenia Communications' development of test engineering support for military/aerospace programs including the Typhoon and Tornado fighter jets, and NH90 Helicopter.

Marconi Selenia Communications began evaluation of Teradyne's M910 DTI about two years ago, while seeking a flexible solution capable of responding to their rigorous digital test requirements. The first application of the new system will be on the Canadian Air Force EH101 Helicopter.

The GPATE platform developed by Marconi Selenia Communications is based on flexible architecture, and designed for easy reconfiguration and upgrading to cope with variances in product test requirements and field conditions. For example, as utilized in the NH90 helicopter, the GPATE system can be configured to test as many as 60 of the line replaceable units (LRUs), a term used to describe the "black boxes" which contain the various communication and control systems onboard the aircraft. Teradyne's M910 DTI is an important component within this system. Integration of the Teradyne DTI technology into the GPATE system required a collaborative effort between Teradyne and Marconi Selenia Communications, and a significant development contribution from Teradyne's local test specialist, Test Technologies, of Milan, Italy.

"We chose to integrate an existing digital test instrument rather than develop our own, which gave us considerable development savings," said Mattia Lugari, Avionic Test Systems R&D Manager at Marconi Selenia Communications. "The collaboration with Teradyne and Test Technologies was also important for developing and increasing our knowledge. The challenge to create a software interface that would link the high-level ATLAS test development environment (from TYX) with Teradyne's digital drivers required significant work on timing and translation functions. The result is impressive, we now have the ability to emulate a synchronous serial interface electronically compatible with RS422, with the ability to test a wide range of avionic busses - often with non-standard protocols and timing requirements - with a single test solution."

"Power and flexibility are what first attracted Marconi Selenia Communications to the M910 DTI, but the widespread usage of this unit in mil/aero programs across the globe is what cemented their decision," said Carl Rosenblatt, business unit manager, military and aerospace test solutions, Assembly Test Division. "The adoption of the M910 DTI solution has given Marconi Selenia Communications access to a broadly accepted technology that can be leveraged internationally for use on both legacy and new programs for years to come."

Teradyne's M9-Series DTI consists of versatile C-size VXI instruments for high-performance digital testing, and powerful, open software that is easily updated to prevent obsolescence. Its VXI plug&play software driver and hardware are compliant with VXI interface standards, and allow the M9-Series instruments to integrate easily with other instruments in VXI-based test systems.

About Marconi Selenia Communications:

Marconi Selenia Communications, a Finmeccanica Company, has a long tradition in the field of defense communications dating back to early 1900 when military forces, came to understand the importance of radio communications still in its infancy.

The inventor of the radio and Nobel Prize winner, Guglielmo Marconi, founder of the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company in 1897 and of the Officine Marconi in Genoa in 1906, was asked to market apparatuses and communication systems for the defense sector. These two companies are the forerunners of the Marconi Selenia Communications (Formerly known as Marconi Mobile).

Marconi Selenia Communications is today a leading supplier in the defense communications sector worldwide, meeting the needs of Defense Ministries, NATO Agencies, Ministries of Home Affairs and other Government Agencies. The Company, designs, manufactures and supplies communications and information systems, primarily for defense and security applications, including ground, naval, avionic communications/command and control systems.

Marconi Selenia Communications had sales of 308 million pounds (EUR 502 million) in the financial year ended 31 March 2002 and currently employs about 4,000 people worldwide. Its main offices and manufacturing plant are located in Italy, the UK, Germany and Turkey.

About Teradyne

Teradyne (NYSE: TER) manufactures Automatic Test Equipment and interconnection systems that deliver competitive advantage to the world's leading semiconductor, electronics, automotive and network systems companies. Teradyne had sales of $1.22 billion in 2002 and employs about 7200 people worldwide. For more information visit www.teradyne.com.