RADC Initiatives In CAE for

Reliability & MaintaLnability

Anthony Coppola
Rome Zur Development Center, G r i f f i s s AFB

-
ABSTRACT Efforts by t h e USAF Rome Air Development Center i n computer-aided
e n g i n e e r i n g (CAE) for r e l i a b i l i t y a n d maintainability i n c l u d e t h e c o n t r a c t e d
development of CAE modules concerned with t e s t a b i l i t y ( t h e a b i l i t y t o detect a n d
isolate failures), t h e in-house development and u s e of r e l i a b i l i t y a n a l y s i s
programs, a n d t h e development of software for computer-aided s u p p o r t of
e l e c t r o n i c modules.

1. BACKGROUND
I n 1983, t h e USAF Rome Air Development Center (RAbC) published a r e p o r t
written by t h e Boeing Aerospace Company d e s c r i b i n g a computer-aided approach
t o t h e d e s i g n of e l e c t r o n i c modules for t e s t a b i l i t y (RADC-TR-83-257, AD-A149683,
Computer Aided Testability Design Analysis). The report described f i v e
software modules which can be i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o CAE design tools t o a s s u r e
consideration of t e s t a b i l i t y i n t h e design process. These modules p r o v i d e
automated a s s i s t a n c e i n a l l o c a t i n g testability, l o c a t i n g test points, s e l e c t i n g
built-in-test (BIT) f e a t u r e s , g e n e r a t i n g test p a t t e r n s , a n d a n a l y z i n g t h e
t e s t a b i l i t y of a proposed design. While some software existed which could be
used f o r t h r e e of t h e proposed modules, t e s t a b i l i t y a l l o c a t i o n a n d BIT s e l e c t i o n
tools had n o t been developed. RADC t h e r e f o r e decided to create t h e s e two
modules .
2. CADBIT
The Computer-Aided Design f o r Built-In-Test (CADBIT) module assists t h e
d e s i g n e r i n s e l e c t i n g and i n s e r t i n g BIT as h e creates a n e l e c t r o n i c module.
The effort was divided i n t o two phases. Phase I, begun i n FY87, w i l l produce
a l i b r a r y of BIT t e c h n i q u e s a n d a s p e c i f i c a t i o n f o r t h e CAD module. The l i b r a r y
w i l l be published as a r e f e r e n c e v a l u a b l e i n its own r i g h t , and both products
w i l l be u s e d as t h e b a s e f o r p h a s e I1 planned t o begin i n FY89. Phase I1 w i l l
i n c l u d e t h e a c t u a l coding and test of t h e module, which is t o be completed i n
FY91.

3. ATDT
Automated T e s t a b i l i t y Decision Tools (ATDT) w i l l b e c r e a t e d by a j o i n t US Air
Force -Army e f f o r t begun i n 1988 July. It w i l l b e a n automated tool enabling a
u s e r t o s p e c i f y t e s t a b i l i t y requirements e a r l y i n t h e system concept p h a s e of
development and allocate t e s t a b i l i t y requirements among t h e system components.
The approach w i l l b e t o develop a p p r o p r i a t e t e s t a b i l i t y figures of merit,

6 1988 Proceedings R8M i n Computer-Aided Engineering Workshop

a l l o c a t i o n procedures, a n d t r a d e o f f methods, a n d t o i n c o r p o r a t e them i n t o a n
i n t e r a c t i v e software package.

4. FEA
F i n i t e Element Analysis (FEA) is a n automated t e c h n i q u e o r i g i n a l l y created
f o r a n a l y z i n g stresses i n l a r g e s t r u c t u r e s s u c h as bridges a n d towers. It h a s
been a d a p t e d by RADC f o r t h e a n a l y s i s of microcircuits. FEA works by modeling
a n item as a configuration of small elements whose mechanical a n d thermal
properties are known, from which stress and t e m p e r a t u r e profiles can be
calculated. A t RADC, FEA h a s been a p p l i e d t o proposed e l e c t r o n i c modules u s i n g
wafer-scale i n t e g r a t i o n , VHSIC chips, t h e boards on which t h e c h i p s are mounted,
a n d even t h e solder connecting a c h i p t o a board. From t h e s e a n a l y s e s , p o i n t s
of excessive stress or t e m p e r a t u r e h a v e been i d e n t i f i e d f o r corrective action.

5. CASTLE
The FEA capability a t RADC is i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o a n in-house facility called
Computer Aided System T e s t a b i l i t y Laboratory Environment (CASTLE). I n t h i s
f a c i l i t y , a v a r i e t y of software is developed a n d tested, i n c l u d i n g A r t i f i c i a l
I n t e l l i g e n c e (AI) a p p l i c a t i o n s . One example is "Smart BIT", t h e u s e of A I
a p p r o a c h e s t o create BIT which is less p r o n e t o f a l s e alarms a n d which can
i d e n t i f y i n t e r m i t t e n t f a i l u r e s . When completed, Smart BIT w i l l b e included i n
t h e CADBIT l i b r a r y of BIT options.
CASTLE CAE programs also i n c l u d e ORACLE (Optimized R e l i a b i l i t y And
Component Life Estimator), a computer program f o r computing r e l i a b i l i t y of
e l e c t r o n i c equipment. ORACLE contains:
1. An electrical-stress a n a l y s i s program based on SPICE,
2. A thermal-analysis program (developed in-house) which can g e n e r a t e t h e
i n p u t s needed f o r t h e reliability predictions,
3. An a n a l y s i s r o u t i n e t h a t c a l c u l a t e s system r e l i a b i l i t y from t h e
p r e d i c t i o n s made for e a c h system component, coupled with configuration a n d
repair rate i n p u t s .
ORACLE is available t o Government a g e n c i e s a n d c o n t r a c t o r s f o r u s e on
Government p r o j e c t s . It is programmed f o r VAX computers u s i n g t h e VMS
o p e r a t i n g system. A v e r s i o n c a p a b l e of r u n n i n g on a n IBM-compatible p e r s o n a l
computer is i n development a n d i s t o be available early i n FY89.

6. ECLIPSE
The Eclectic Capability f o r Logistics Information and Product Support f o r
Electronics (ECLIPSE) system i s a n example of CAE f o r support. ECLIPSE w i l l
c a p t u r e computer-generated design information a n d test vectors f o r e l e c t r o n i c
modules and store t h e s e i n "neutral" formats. Through p o s t p r o c e s s o r s it w i l l
g e n e r a t e test programs i n t h e c o r r e c t programming language f o r s p e c i f i c
automatic test equipment. I t w i l l provide information i n digitized form t o o t h e r
automated s u p p o r t systems such as t h o s e being developed f o r g e n e r a t i n g t h e
Technical Orders u s e d f o r maintenance. I t w i l l t r a c k e l e c t r o n i c modules by
serial numbers i f r e q u i r e d . The d e s i g n information stored w i l l be available f o r
a n y U S Air Force p u r p o s e including t h e reprocurement of a module no l o n g e r

1988 Proceedings Reliability & Maintainability i n CAE Workshop 7

made by t h e original s u p p l i e r . Although it can be a p p l i e d t o a n y electronic
module, ECLIPSE was proposed s p e c i f i c a l l y t o s u p p o r t t h e Line Replaceable
Modules (LRMs) used i n s u c h i n t e g r a t e d avionic systems as t h a t planned f o r t h e
Advanced Tactical F i g h t e r and o t h e r s t o be developed under t h e Modular
Avionics Systems Architecture. An Operational Concept Document and System
Specification for ECLIPSE were produced i n J u l y 1988. I n FY89, RADC w i l l begin
a program t o demonstrate t h e core c a p a b i l i t i e s of ECLIPSE. The approach w i l l
be t o extend t h e RADC-developed Tester Independent Support Software System
(TISSS), a n o t h e r example of CAE f o r support. TISSS, installed a t RADC i n 1988
July, is designed t o c a p t u r e design information and generate test programs for
VHSIC devices. It w i l l be upgraded t o handle t h e modules on which t h e devices
are i n s t a l l e d , t h u s providing t h e basic f u n c t i o n s of ECLIPSE. The product,
called LRM TISSS w i l l be a proof-of-concept for ECLIPSE, a test bed for f u r t h e r
ECLIPSE development, and a n interim LRM s u p p o r t system for t h e ATF. Plans call
f o r a demonstration of t h e LRM TISSS i n FY90, though development w i l l continue
through FY 9 1.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

These CAE programs were ( w i l l be) created by RADC under its c h a r t e r t o

develop r e l i a b i l i t y and maintainability e n g i n e e r i n g technology. RADC and o t h e r
US Air Force CAE programs, notably t h o s e of t h e Air Force Human Resource
Laboratory and t h e Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories, are included i n
t h e Air Force Unified L i f e Cycle Engineering (ULCE) initiative, and are
coordinated by t h e ULCE s t e e r i n g group.

AUTHOR

-
Anthony CopPola W A F RADC/RBE-1 Griffiss AFB, New York 13441 USA.
Anthony Coppola is Chief of t h e Special Projects Office, Systems Reliability
and Engineering Division, Reliability and Compatibility Directorate, Rome Air
Development Center, which is r e s p o n s i b l e for t h e developnient of t h e Eclectic
Capability for Logistics Information and Product Support for Electronics
(ECLIPSE) system. Mr. Coppola h a s been a t RADC since 1956 -involved primarily
i n t h e development of r e l i a b i l i t y and maintainability (R&M) e n g i n e e r i n g
techniques. H e created t h e RADC program f o r applying artificial i n t e l l i g e n c e
t e c h n i q u e s t o f a u l t d e t e c t i o n and i s o l a t i o n , and t h e RADC program i n computer-
aided design for R&M. H e h a s more t h a n 50 t e c h n i c a l publications t o h i s credit.
Mr. Coppola earned a Bachelor's degree i n Physics, 1956, and a Master's i n
Engineering Administration, 1966, both from S y r a c u s e University. H e completed
t h e I n d u s t r i a l College of t h e Armed Forces correspondence program i n National
S e c u r i t y Management and t h e Air War College seminar program. H e h a s been a
guest i n s t r u c t o r f o r AFIT, t h e Air Force Academy, and George Washington
University. H e is a Fellow of t h e IEEE and t h e r e c i p i e n t of a n IEEE Centennial
Medal. H e holds t h e A i r Force award f o r Meritorious Civilian Service.
0 R&M -CAE 0

8 1988 Proceedings R&M i n Computer-Aided Engineering Workshop