Tracking Current Flow through Units Under Test (UUT)

This research effort focuses on the development and implementation of methods to capture and analyze electrical current flow deviations in units under test (UUT). The research evaluates technologies and methods to capture electrical current flow. Theresults of this research are intended to augment the current automatic test equipment measuring capabilities. Electrical current signatures are captured using power supply current sensors and magnetic field sensors. The measurements are then stored in aknowledge database. Software statistical processing identifies critical conditions and issues advisories. The software analyzes steady-state or transient inputs from the knowledge database. TQS will pursue three different software tools: statisticalprocess monitoring, correlation, and neural networks. Software will be used to detect conditions, patterns and trends that signal critical conditions. Adding current measurements increases the ability to troubleshoot and forecast component failure in UUT.Adding current measurements will help correlate electrical current flow deviations to specific components. This added capability should reduce repair times and cost as well as greatly increase the ability of new technicians. A method of characterizingcircuits has many commercial applications for any company that repairs or produces electronic devices.The technology anticipated as a result of this research and development should significantly improve decision support for sustaining engineers andtechnicians. Adding electrical current flow characteristics to emerging ATE should provide increased capability to detect degrading circuit performance and thereby improved failure forecasting capability. Commercial applications of failure forecasting orprognostics are boundless and critical in the aerospace, automotive and medical industries.