Whether you run a test department with a wide range of specialized equipment, oversee ground operations with an extensive fleet of ground support assets, or manage an integration and development lab full of Hardware-in-the-Loop systems, one challenge remains constant: keeping your systems operational, secure, and validated.
Emerging network security requirements now demand continuous patching and updates. Add to that regular calibration schedules, hardware upgrades, and software enhancements, and it’s easy to see how maintenance can consume significant time and resources. Yet, one of the most underestimated time sinks is often system re-validation—verifying that test, support, or HIL systems continue to perform correctly after every change or update.
Reducing this re-validation burden and keeping teams focused on their core development and operational tasks is critical. That’s where DMC’s Helix SwitchCore platform comes in.
Helix SwitchCore is a configurable, expandable hardware platform designed to automate and streamline system validation. It provides a flexible foundation for test and support environments, helping organizations maintain compliance, reliability, and performance with less downtime and manual effort.
This article takes a closer look at the Helix SwitchCore platform—its key features, adaptability, and how it can simplify validation and certification workflows across a wide range of applications.
System Overview
The Helix SwitchCore platform is designed to adapt to a wide range of test environments through its configurable hardware architecture and modular design.
Configurable Test Interfaces
Every test system has unique interface requirements, and SwitchCore is built to meet them. Whether your application uses MIL-DTL-38999 or other circular connectors, VPC or mass interface connectors, or rectangular formats such as D-subs, the system can be configured to match your existing infrastructure. This flexibility enables seamless integration with both legacy and modern test systems.
Expandable Switching Architecture
At the core of the Helix SwitchCore platform is an expandable switch matrix that enables software-configurable I/O routing. This architecture allows users to dynamically reconfigure test connections without manual rewiring, improving flexibility and reducing setup time.
The system supports two distinct measurement bus configurations—2A or 10A—each with built-in overcurrent protection. This capability lets the same hardware platform be adapted to different current levels and safety constraints, minimizing the need for custom hardware variants.
Scalability is another key feature: the platform can support anywhere from 32 test points to over 1,000, depending on system requirements. Its modular power bus and test point configuration options allow engineers to balance cost, performance, and functionality, ensuring the platform fits a wide range of test and validation applications.
Integrated and Expandable Instrumentation
Helix SwitchCore can be equipped with a range of instrumentation, including programmable power supplies and loads, oscilloscopes, function generators, analog and digital I/O, and serial bus controllers such as RS-422, MIL-STD-1553, and CAN. Its modular design enables the platform to scale and evolve with your test requirements, reducing the need for separate, dedicated test setups.
Smart Host Control and Integration
An integrated host controller monitors instrument status, executes user-defined sequencing functions, and exposes a comprehensive API for easy integration into existing test executives or software architectures. To the end user, the entire platform behaves as a single, unified instrument—simplifying control, configuration, and automation.
Portable and Cost-Effective
The compact, mobile form factor of the Helix SwitchCore platform makes it easy to move between test stations or store when not in use. This portability helps reduce overall instrumentation costs by maximizing utilization across multiple projects or departments.
Conclusion
As test and support systems grow more complex—and as cybersecurity, compliance, and uptime demands increase—the need for flexible, maintainable, and easily validated hardware platforms becomes essential. The DMC Helix SwitchCore platform was developed to meet that need.
By combining configurable I/O, expandable instrumentation, and intelligent control, Helix SwitchCore helps teams streamline re-validation, simplify integration, and reduce overall test system lifecycle costs. Its modular design allows lab managers to balance functionality and price, scaling the platform to match immediate project needs while preserving a path for future expansion and technology updates. This adaptability helps organizations make more innovative use of both their capital budgets and engineering resources, minimizing downtime and avoiding costly redesigns as requirements evolve.
Whether you’re managing an R&D lab, maintaining ground support equipment, or operating production test systems, Helix SwitchCore provides a scalable foundation that adapts as your operational and technical demands change—allowing your team to stay focused where it matters most: on development, innovation, and mission success, not maintenance overhead.
See How Helix SwitchCore is Being Used
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