Creating automated test and repair solutions with advanced diagnostics and ATE software

Abstract

Today's complex electronic assemblies employ sophisticated and advanced automated test solutions to verify functional performance - both at the time of manufacture and for depot repair scenarios. Providing go / no-go test solutions are routinely created for all types of electronic assemblies. However, the task of diagnosing today's failed UUTs or systems is not a process that is easily automated. Older generation and less complex electronic assemblies may have employed automated diagnostics such as guided probe but with the complexity of today's electronic assemblies, coupled with long program development time, automated diagnostics has largely been abandoned by OEMs and Depot test / repair facilities. However, with products becoming increasingly complex and with the extended life-cycles of many mil-aero and commercial systems and platforms, the need for automated diagnostics remains in high demand, and this demand continues to increase - particularly at the Depot level where the ability to efficiently and accurately diagnose and repair products is acute. This paper discusses how advances in diagnostic tools can be incorporated with ATE software to create a comprehensive test environment supporting, go / no-go, as well as automated diagnostics. By integrating the diagnostics design knowledge with the test station, test confidence is taken to the highest level and, in the event of a UUT failure, rapid identification of the failed component is now embedded in the test station. Today's high tech test systems provide excellent confidence testing; however, the extended time required to troubleshoot and analyze a faulty UUT complicates support logistics and drives up over all support / maintenance and Unit Production Costs (UPC). Repairing today's complex UUTs requires a high skill level to isolate the failure to the root cause component. By employing an advanced UUT diagnostics design methodology which provides an enhanced understanding of the unit's test capability, coupled with the design knowledge of the UUT, the capabilities of an existing test station can be extended to included advanced diagnostics.