Role of BIT in support system maintenance and availability

The role of built in test (BIT) in electronic systems has grown in prominence with the advances in system complexity and concern over maintenance lifecycle costs of large systems. In an environment where standards drive system designs (and provide an avenue for focused advancement in technology), standards for BIT are very much in an evolutionary state. The reasons for advancing the effectiveness of BIT include reduced support overhead, greater, confidence in operation, and increased system availability. The cost of supporting military electronic systems (avionics, communications, and weapons systems) has driven much of the development in BIT technology. But what about the systems that support these end items that contain test and measurement instrumentation - such as automatic test equipment (ATE), simulators and avionics development suites? There has also been a beneficial effect on the maintenance and availability of these systems due to the infusion of BIT into their component assemblies. But the effect has been much more sporadic and fragmented. This paper looks at the state of BIT in test and measurement instruments, explain its affect on system readiness, and present ideas on how to improve BIT technologies and standards. This will not provide definitive answers to BIT development questions, since the factors that affect it are specific to the instrument itself. The topics covered in this paper are: definitions of built-in test, instrument BIT history, importance of BIT fault coverage and isolation in support systems, overview of BIT development process issues that limit the effectiveness of BIT Standards related to instrument BIT, making BIT more effective in support system maintenance and availability and conclusions.     

An Approach to Built-In Testing

The archiitecture and justification for an approach to built-in testing (BIT) in electronic circuits and systems is presented. The proposed system is capable of on-line fault detection and prediction up to the shop replaceable assembly (SRA) level and is designed to interface with external automatic test equipment (ATE) for off-line fault diagnosis within the SRA. The constituent parts of the BIT system have been extensively simulated and the approach appears to be suitable for hardware implementation both with respect to computational and economic considerations.     

Built-in test maturation concepts using test program set andrelational database technologies

Continual improvement of avionic built-in test (BIT) is critical to mission readiness and capability. This paper discusses how test program set (TPS) and relational database (RDB) technologies can be used for this purpose. Important aspects for continually improving avionic BIT and TPS operation are discussed     

改善电子系统故障诊断能力的神经网络虚警过滤器技术

分析了现代电子系统机内测试 (BIT)技术存在的虚警问题 ,提出运用神经网络虚警过滤器(NNFAF)技术来降低虚警、改进BIT能力 ;并介绍了NNFAF的原理和网络开发方法 ;最后分析了NN FAF技术的特点、应用及发展方向。     

Using built-in-test to reduce TPS run times and improve TPSreliability

This paper addresses using information derived from Built-in-Test (BIT) to fault diagnose Units Under Test (UUTs), wherever possible. This philosophic approach to diagnostic testing is not new. It has been studied over the past 20 years under the visor of “Integrated Diagnostics”, but it has yet to be truly implemented in a “real life” military diagnostic test environment. The mindset of Test Program Set design engineering, along with customer and contractor management alike, remains “complete diagnostic testing based upon single catastrophic component failure modes”. If we are to generate cost efficient Test Program Sets (TPSs) under reduced military budget constraints, this will have to change! The test engineer must be encouraged to use methodologies to speed up development time and decrease TPS run times. Using present technology, this is possible now, and as the technology matures, will become a truly viable approach in the future. For the purpose of this paper, the author relies heavily on his extensive US Navy Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) and Test Program Set (TPS) experience, as well as on previous studies performed on using BIT to fault diagnose Unit Under Test failures on US Naval Air weapon systems     

Test results judgment method based on BIT faults

Built-in-test(BIT) is responsible for equipment fault detection, so the test data correctness directly influences diagnosis results. Equipment suffers all kinds of environment stresses, such as temperature, vibration, and electromagnetic stress. As embedded testing facility, BIT also suffers from these stresses and the interferences/faults are caused, so that the test course is influenced,resulting in incredible results. Therefore it is necessary to monitor test data and judge test failures.Stress monitor and BIT self-diagnosis would redound to BIT reliability, but the existing antijamming researches are mainly safeguard design and signal process. This paper focuses on test results monitor and BIT equipment(BITE) failure judge, and a series of improved approaches is proposed. Firstly the stress influences on components are illustrated and the effects on the diagnosis results are summarized. Secondly a composite BIT program is proposed with information integration, and a stress monitor program is given. Thirdly, based on the detailed analysis of system faults and forms of BIT results, the test sequence control method is proposed. It assists BITE failure judge and reduces error probability. Finally the validation cases prove that these approaches enhance credibility.     

Instrumenting embedded test software in support system integration, factory production, and depot repair

Embedded built-in test (BIT) software typically provides a system-level go/no-go indication and, in the presence of a failure, may provide some level of sub-system isolation. This level of reporting, while meeting the customer's operational requirements, does little to support system integration, production, and repair. To support these other needs, "instrumentation code" is added to the BIT software to provide detailed test data through an external interface. Since the BIT software already accesses the hardware parameters for testing, it becomes the most logical component for the instrumentation. This paper describes the techniques of embedding instrumentation during BIT design and development to support a broad range of program test needs. It explains the costs and benefits associated with the use of instrumentation. It gives specific examples of instrumented software and describes how instrumentation data can be used during environmental tests, factory test, and depot test. The impact instrumentation has on software development time, code size, execution time, and reliability is discussed as well as the cost of retrofitting BIT software to add instrumentation. Some of the benefits as well as the challenges to developing effective embedded instrumentation is also examined.     

BIT综合表示模型研究

 在分析机内测试(BIT)主要设计要素组成的基础上,提出了BIT综合表示模型。建立了BIT综合表示模型的数学定义,包括BIT单元模型、BIT层次关系集合、BIT数据传送方式集合、BIT执行次序集合和BIT综合表示模型。在数学定义的基础上,进一步建立了BIT综合表示的框图模型和表格模型,这两种模型可以直接用于工程分析。最后,以某辅助导航系统为案例,进行了BIT综合表示模型的应用,给出了框图模型结果和表格模型结果,验证了该模型的可用性和有效性。     

Environmental stress level evaluation approach based on physical model and interval grey association degree

 Associating environmental stresses (ESs) with built-in test (BIT) output is an important means to help diagnose intermittent faults (IFs). Aiming at low efficiency in association of traditional time stress measurement device (TSMD), an association model is built. Thereafter, a novel approach is given to evaluate the integrated environmental stress (IES) level. Firstly, the selection principle and approach of main environmental stresses (MESs) and key characteristic parameters (KCPs) are presented based on fault mode, mechanism, and ESs analysis (FMMEA). Secondly, reference stress events (RSEs) are constructed by dividing IES into three stress levels according to its impact on faults; and then the association model between integrated environmental stress event (IESE) and BIT output is built. Thirdly, an interval grey association approach to evaluate IES level is proposed due to the interval number of IES value. Consequently, the association output can be obtained as well. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate the proposed approach. Results show the proposed model and approach are effective and feasible. This approach can be used to guide ESs measure, record, and association. It is well suited for on-line assistant diagnosis of faults, especially IFs.     

基于时间应力分析的机内测试系统综合降虚警技术

 虚警率高是困扰机内测试（BIT）系统得到广泛应用的主要原因。针对该问题,从机电系统所承受时间应力的角度构建了机内测试系统综合降低虚警技术的总体模型。首先采用双支持向量机（SVM）的方法将实时应力信息与机内测试诊断结果相互关联。在此基础上,提出了基于核主元模糊聚类的虚警识别方法将机电系统多源信息进行综合分析,并通过优化决策实现多级降低机内测试系统虚警的目的。最后,针对某型直升机航空地平仪的机内测试系统进行了试验验证与分析。     

航空航天智能材料与智能结构研究进展

智能材料作为新兴多功能材料,能够实现结构功能化、功能多样化。智能结构是在结构中集成智能材料作为传感器和驱动器,使结构除了具有承载、传力、连接等功能外,还具有自感知、自诊断、自驱动、自修复等能力,以更好地适应外界环境的变化,可显著提升航空航天架构的性能。目前智能材料与智能结构已成为航空航天架构减重增效研究的重点。根据国内外智能材料和结构的研究进展,综述了压电材料、铁磁材料、形状记忆材料、智能复合材料等智能材料的发展;讨论了智能结构的研究及应用前景,包括自诊断智能结构、自修复智能结构和减振降噪智能结构;最后,指出了智能材料与结构当前面临的一些挑战性问题,展望了其在航空航天领域的应用前景。     

机内测试虚警分析和控制

现代飞行器广泛采用机内测试(Built-intest,BIT)技术,以便对其内部故障进行自动检测、诊断和隔离,但是常规BIT面临诊断能力不足和诊断模糊性等问题,导致BIT虚警率高,难以有效发挥其应有的作用.本文论述了BIT虚警的基本理论、虚警的危害及现状,并从BIT虚警产生的原因分析入手,提出了解决虚警问题的一些方法和措施.     

Analysis tools for the evaluation of maintenance software

Test packages written for built-in test (BIT) and mobile automatic test equipment (ATE) systems for the forward support of electronic and thermal imaging equipment used by the British Army are currently scrutinized and subjected to objective tests by test package evaluation and acceptance teams (TPEATs) before being accepted for field use. This is a time-consuming and costly exercise that can result in the rejection of unsuitable software. The result of such rejection on equipment logistics is for reaching, since the hardware will enter service without adequate maintenance support. In an attempt to address this problem a suite of programs aimed at assisting the verification and validation activities of the TPEAT at every stage of the software life cycle from requirements analysis through to testing and acceptance is being devised. The development of these tools is discussed     

Smart test program set (TPS)

The Boeing Company has several research and development efforts focused on improving interoperability of the test station with other external systems as well as the interoperability within the test station itself. This includes integrating UUT data, test set-up, test execution, test results, repair and replace actions with other systems to provide a "closed-loop" system. One example of the "closed-loop" system is a non-intrusive tool referred to as Smart TPS (Test Program Set). Smart TPS will provide informational services to the user that reduce diagnostic test times and provide an ordered list of replacement actions based on historical data. Where possible, data are exchanged via the automatic test markup language (ATML).     

Training, career development and registration for safety criticalsoftware systems specialists

A career development program for information systems practitioners currently being used widely by employers in the UK and now becoming available in North America is described. The program, called the Professional Development Scheme (PDS), was developed by the British Computer Society to address the lack of structure and quality control generally present in the way computing professionals were being trained. The performance standards underpinning the program (The British Computer Society Industry Structure Model) have been thoroughly updated and now include material specific to the development, maintenance, and management of software for safety-critical applications. The use of the program for this purpose and potential developments in the field of training and registration for safety-critical software specialists are discussed     

Evaluation of built-in test

Built-in test (BIT) provides fault finding as a means to aid in system assembly, test, and maintenance. An investigation to evaluate BIT of a particular electronics board used in the in-flight entertainment system for Boeing 777s is described. We found BIT proved useful when failure occurrences were uniquely associated with the operating environment, situations which can result in no-fault found, or could-not duplicate (CND) failures upon test. We also observed cases where the BIT failed to observe failures, and in some cases pointed to the wrong cause of failure. These and other advantages and disadvantages of BIT implementation are discussed     

Ten questions on UWB [ultra wide band radar]

Most radars now in use are narrow band systems with frequency bands much less than the carrier frequency. The theory and practice of current radar systems are based of this specific feature. But as is known, it is the frequency band that determines the information content of radar systems, as the volume of information transmitted per time unit is directly proportional to the frequency band. To raise the information capability of a radar system, the widening of its frequency band is needed. The only alternative approach is an increase in information transmission time. The actuality of this problem has determined rapid development in the last years of technologies using ultra wide band (UWB) signals. This paper describes the principles and features of UWB radar.     

Synthesis and test issues for future aircraft inertial systemsintegration

A survey is presented of the potential benefits, possible pitfalls, and anticipated testing needs of integrating inertial guidance systems with systems dependent on the availability of the electromagnetic spectrum. Commonly referred to as integrated communications, navigation, and identification avionics (ICNIA), these systems of the future offer the combined potential for superb positioning and secure communications. The general characteristics (if current development trends continue) of the next-generation inertial navigation systems (INS) are briefly presented, followed by key modular and conceptual issues in the synthesis of this INS with systems dependent on the EM spectrum. Modular issues as considered here are those related to detailed implementation and resulting efficiency. Conceptual issues are those related to overall military strategy and resulting effectiveness. An example of modular systems integration is given, and a few preparations which can be anticipated for the field testing of integrated systems are presented, followed by concluding comments