To solve the optimal configuration design problem in passive and active passive multi-platform collaborative tracking scenarios， a multi-platform collaborative tracking optimal configuration design method based on effectiveness evaluation system is proposed. The mathematical model of passive and active passive multi-platform cooperative tracking is derived， and the effectiveness that can evaluate the tracking results is selected as the tracking effectiveness. A quantitative function is designed to unify the tracking effectiveness dimension； the analytic hierarchy process is used to construct a tracking effectiveness evaluation system， and a formula for calculating the effectiveness evaluation value is derived. In order to obtain the optimal configuration parameters， establish a maximum effectiveness evaluation value， consider the optimal design problem constrained by the range of configuration parameters and communication rate； then， the differential evolution algorithm is used to solve the optimal design problem. The final simulation results show that the proposed method can obtain the optimal configuration parameters and complete the configuration design with the optimal tracking effectiveness evaluation value.