Aircraft Wiring Characterization, Tracking, and Testing System (AWCTTS)

"This exciting proposal offers innovative research to prototype and demonstrate the feasibility of a low cost, portable PC software and inspection probe which acts as a wiring inspection unit to automate many tedious aircraft wiring inspection tasks. Theunit will provide inspectors with an automated sensing of wiring system faults, failures and problems of difficult-to-assess hazards hidden in dark areas, in bundles and in occluded spaces. The hand held probe will identify wiring type and use non-invasivereflectometry to scan along wiring and insulation for deterioration. The unit will employ chafing sensors to accurately locate points of damaged insulation, which can result in arcing or perhaps damage to hydraulic lines. The unit, built with a COTS PDA orportable, will log inspection results and comments and send the information to a central database. In addition, the unit will tag the wiring as inspected for actions by maintainers and as information for future inspections. In Phase I, our team willcapture requirements, develop architecture, build a prototype, and end with feasibility demonstrations. No such inspection system with such wide reaching innovations exists today. The software and portable unit that will result from this SBIR areapplicable to a wide variety of applications that parallel aircraft wiring inspection. It is particularly relevant to commercial aircraft wiring, plant maintenance, industrial process control, medi