CTLR RPTS 6 ARTS 3E PROGRAM FAILURES IN A 90 MIN PERIOD. THE LAST FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A TECHNICIAN ATTEMPTING TO LOCK OUT A PROCESSOR. THE ARTS DATA BLOCKS DID NOT FREEZE ON THE DISPLAYS.

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BTWN XX00 AND XY30 LCL; THE ARTS 3E FAILED 6 TIMES. DATA WAS NOT FROZE ON THE INDICATORS. THE ALARM DID SOUND JUST PRIOR TO THE SYS CRASHING EACH TIME. WHEN THE SYS RETURNED VIDEO MAPS ON SOME INDICATORS HAD TO BE MANUALLY RELOADED. ADDING TO THE TENSION AND STRESS OF THESE FAILURES IS THE FACT WE ARE 1 WK INTO A MASSIVE AIRSPACE PROC FREQ AND NEW RWY CHANGE. (DFW METROPLEX PLAN). THE LAST FAILURE WAS SELF INDUCED TO TRY TO LOCK OUT A PROCESSOR. AFTER THAT WAS DONE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY CONTINUE TO FAIL. MY SHIFT ENDED AT XC30 SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANY FURTHER FAILURES OCCURRED. THIS ADDED TO ACFT DELAYS. THE ARTS 3E HAS FAILED TO LIVE UP TO AIR TFC EXPECTATIONS. THE FAILURE HAS DONE NOTHING BUT ADD TO THE LACK OF CONFIDENCE ON THE PART OF THE CTLRS IN EQUIP THAT WE DEPEND ON IN THIS HIGH DENSITY LEVEL 5 TRACON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT CAUSED THE PROB BUT KNEW THAT IT WAS HARDWARE RELATED AT 1 OF THE 4 RADAR SITES. RPTR STATED THE ARTS 3E PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN USE SINCE AUGUST.