Automatic Fault Isolation Without Coding of
Diagnostic Flow Paths
Seamlessly integrates into any operating
environment
Provides Diagnostic Services to test and data
acquisition programs in development and run-time environments such as
LabWindows, LabVIEW, ATEasy, Visual Basic, Teradyne L200.
Patented Diagnostic Reasoning is based on a
CAD-derived model of the item being tested.
Does not constrain test program structure.
Introduction
The Diagnostician is a model-based expert system that provides
fault isolation call-out based upon reading the results of tests.
The Diagnostician's model-based algorithms provide a deterministic
means of fault isolation: the diagnostic logic is based upon the design
of the system or item being tested. The design aspects that are used
include data commonly found in design netlists: component definition,
inputs and outputs of each component, interconnectivity, signal flow
throughout the design and any design hierarchies. This design
information is used to automatically derive a fault propagation model
of the system, i.e., how faults propagate throughout circuitry to
locations where they are observable by tests. This approach is
deterministic in that it is based on actual design principals, and is
not based upon probabilities, rules or someone's interpretation of
diagnostic behavior, or "learned" fault patterns.
Applications
Automatic Test Equipment (ATE)
Embedded Diagnostics / Built-in Test
Portable Maintenance Aids
Any PC, VXI, or GPIB-Based Instrumentation System
Data Acquisition Systems
Maintenance Simulation
Process Control Systems
Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals
Dynamic Reconfiguration Management for Redundant
Systems
Prognostic Reasoning
Architecture
The Diagnostician is structured as a library of functions.
This library of functions is compiled to different operating systems.
For example, in the Windows environment, the Diagnostician is compiled
as a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) or COM object. The library consists of
diagnostic services, and is implemented in a true client-server
architecture, providing automatic fault isolation services to any
client program which calls upon its functions. This allows for
tremendous flexibility for integration into actual run-time platforms
and software environments, since users can call those functions which
their application needs, when they're needed.
The library of functions can be used as "building blocks" to implement
any test strategy desired by the user.
The client reports test results to the Diagnostician, which
performs inferencing based upon the diagnostic model. Fault call-out,
current ambiguity group, or next best test is passed to the client
program.
Intelligent Diagnostics
Dynamic Diagnostics
Test Results can be input to the Diagnostician..
in any order
no pre-set sequence
from any source individually or in sequence
operator observations, test instruments, data
bus, data file, built-in test, automatic test equipment, system panels
& displays, etc.
as many or as few at a time as the test source(s)
can provide
not restricted to one-at-a-time to follow a
diagnostic tree
zeroes-in on cause of fault(s)
Diagnostician can identify multiple faults
Diagnostic trees follow single-fault assumption
Diagnostician will always zero in on cause of
fault
never leaves the technician hanging
Will only request tests that have diagnostic
significance
based upon snapshot of current fault possibilities
Versions
Diagnostician for Windows
DLL or OLE or COM, 16 and 32 bit versions for Windows 3.1, Windows 95,
Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP environments for LabVIEW, ATEasy,
HP-VEE, Visual Basic, Visual C++, AIMSS, or any other program
supporting DLLs or COM.
Diagnostician for LabVIEW or
LabWindows CVI
Diagnostician for DDE
for Fluke Sigma Series Tester and other Windows-based software packages
not supporting DLL.
Diagnostician for DOS
for any DOS program
Diagnostician for VAX
for any Vax-based system, fully integrated into Teradyne L200/L353
series test system software.
Diagnostician for Sun Solaris
2.3 or higher
Diagnostician for SCO Unix
Diagnostician for Embedded
Microcontroller applications Intermetrics and other
customized embedded hardware environments.
What
Makes the Diagnostician Unique ?
The Diagnostician is a truly unique
implementation of model-based reasoning by virtue of the following
characteristics and features:
1. The test results can be entered
into the Diagnostician from any source, in any order, and as many or
few at a time as the application warrants. This tremendous flexibility
is provided by the internal structure of the model that is used for
diagnostic reasoning - the model is in a matrix format, as opposed to a
"fault tree" structure.
2. The Diagnostician uses both pass and fail cones of evidence, mapped
across the matrix format to obtain fault isolation call-out. It also
includes a minimum set covering algorithm to speed processing and
improve diagnostic resolution.
3. The flexibility of the internal structure enables operating modes
that fit into a broader set of operating environments than typical
expert diagnostic systems, especially automatic test equipment and
embedded applications, which typically involve reading of large sets of
test result data provided in an instance, as opposed to one test result
at a time which is used to flow through a static test tree or fault
flow diagram.
4. The model structure and the algorithms allow for multiple
independent and multiple dependent, or common mode failures to be
isolated.
How
is the Knowledge Base Created?
The Diagnostic Knowledge Base (DKB)
is created using the Diagnostic
Profiler. In most cases, the input is an EDIF netlist. The
Diagnostic Profiler automatically translates the design information
from the EDIF netlist into a fault propagation model. The user then
identifies what design locations will be implemented as test points,
and makes any necessary modifications to the component coverage
information supplied by the Diagnostic Profiler. The result is a
powerful diagnostic model which represents both fault propagation and
test coverage.
Pricing
Description
SKU #
Price
Per Platform License
sku-1
2,000
With Diagnostic Profiler Purchase
Free!
Diagnostic Workbench
sku-2
2,000
The links below provide detailed technical information on the
Diagnostic Profiler and Diagnostician
