Cloud-Based Electronic Test Procedures

Test procedures are at the heart of any experimental process, especially those involving novel and complex hardware. Whether these procedures are for system check-out, experimental set-up, data collection, or operating the test article, following appropriate procedures and auditing the results of these procedures brings rigor and repeatability to the experimental process. Typically, test procedures are written in Microsoft Word or Excel and then printed out. Data entry is done by pen and pencil with little to no data captured electronically. This increases the error rate in procedures and reduces efficiency. A cloud-based test procedure system provides procedures via web browsers on tablets or laptops and guides the user through the procedure step-by-step. Electronic test procedures can capture and display data automatically and provide a record of procedure performance. Common procedure elements can be re-used and shared across multiple projects and programs. Custom displays can be generated from the same procedure content for use on-board in addition to on the ground. TRACLabs proposes to extend its existing electronic procedure system, PRIDE, to capture the unique requirements of NASA flight test projects. PRIDE is currently being used on a variety of NASA projects, including the International Space Station (ISS), and by an increasing number of commercial customers. PRIDE replaces the document-oriented test procedures currently in use with information-oriented procedures that are flexible and optimized for on-line performance. The result will be an extensible electronic test procedure system that can be utilized across all of NASA's aeronautical test facilities and programs.