Intelligent Embedded Diagnostics and Open Architecture for Future Avionics Systems

"Impact Technologies, in collaboration with Honeywell Defense Avionics Systems, proposes to develop and demonstrate improved on-board embedded diagnostics for avionics as well as open communications architectures that enable information continuity betweenon-board and off-board systems or maintenance aids. Within this paradigm shift approach, embedded diagnostics improvements will be sought through the evaluation of improved sensed features, various artificial intelligence methods, and more detailedconsideration of available data, such as from a data bus monitor. The application of avionics reliability and aging (usage) models to improve assessments or resolve ambiguity will also be addressed. In addition, an ambiguity group analysis that employsdata fusion will be developed to assist the at-wing, automated test equipment, if necessary, to rank probable causes. The information continuity, however, will require implementation of suitable open architecture protocols such as AI-ESTATE or OSA-CBM, andit will allow the diagnostics results, symptoms evaluated, and operational/environmental conditions to be more easily captured in a database that will allow for further data mining, clustering, case-based reasoning and other knowledge discovery methods.This pathway and database integration of the diagnostics development ensures that continuous learning of new trends and diagnostics could be developed for future updates to the on-board system.