Diagnostics and Prognostics Considerations
Definition
Diagnostics is the detection and isolation of failures for repair. Prognostics is the prediction of failures using specialized equipment and inspection. Diagnostics and prognostics need to be considered early in the system’s lifecycle to facilitate design for testability (DFT).
General/Information/Narrative
Materiel developers, including Program Executive Officers (PEOs) and program, project, and product managers will ensure that test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment (TMDE) of the acquisition program are addressed. The use of existing TMDE, to include standard automatic test equipment (ATE) is preferred for systems where embedded diagnostics (ED), embedded prognostics (EP), or built-in test equipment (BITE) are not practical. The combat developer will coordinate with the materiel developer to derive training requirements for new test equipment.
Embedded diagnostics is any capability that accomplishes self–diagnosis using onboard resources as an integrated system (i.e., sensors, analytical software and embedded devices); collects, correlates and synthesizes systems performance data to provide a system level health assessment via onboard processing. Embedded prognostics are a further refinement of embedded diagnostics to address system condition, support failure prediction and enable anticipatory logistics by use of software algorithms. Prognostic capabilities identify impending failures and provide appropriate actionable logistics support direction.
Interactive electronic technical manuals (IETMs) are screen–based tools comprising platform/equipment technical data, including drawings, schematics, operating procedures troubleshooting procedures, repair procedures, safety warnings, repair parts/ and special tools list and maintenance allocation charts that provide user interfaces to the equipment, databases that manage user or equipment information, parts, operational states and modes or performance information through hardware and software. Diagnostic capabilities that are an integral or interfaced component of the IETM communicate and interact with selected sensored components or the weapon system central data base. IETM diagnostic functionality will provide the information necessary to identify faults, perform repairs, verify fault correction, and identify the necessary services and parts required to return a system to an operational status and restore end items to full operational condition. Less sophisticated IETMs may communicate information to the user for troubleshooting and traditional fault isolation.
System developers will perform a system level of repair analysis (LORA) to identify and justify automatic test equipment requirements at the various levels of maintenance.
Policies, Directives, Regulations, Laws
Army Regulation 750-43, Army Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment
Best Practices, Lessons Learned, Stories, Guides, Handbooks, Templates, Example Tools, Communities of Practice, LEC Tools
The Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services report (LSA-033) supports this activity by providing information concerning how and when to perform diagnostics and regular maintenance. The Support Item reports (LSA-005, -007, -008, -013) also support in predicting task frequency and task performance. PowerLOG is a logistics data management system developed to support the development, integration, and review of logistic product information throughout the acquisition life cycle. PowerLOG implements the Logistics Support Analysis Record (LSAR) requirements defined in MIL-STD-1388-2B as well as Logistics Product Data (LPD) standards defined by GEIA-STD-0007. PowerLOG also supports legacy data standards such as MIL-STD-1552 (PMR). PowerLOG is available free to all Government agencies and their contractors and can be obtained by visiting: https://www.logsa.army.mil/lec/powerlog/.
The Computerized Optimization Model for Predicting and Analyzing Support Structures (COMPASS) is a system Level of Repair Analysis (LORA) modeling tool. LORA is the analytical methodology used to determine the maintenance repair levels where items should be removed and replaced; and ultimately repaired or discarded. COMPASS estimates the cost to repair or discard items at various maintenance levels, with contractor facilities included as a separate level. COMPASS optimizes both the maintenance and support to achieve your target operational availability (Ao). COMPASS can consider up to four levels of organic maintenance (supports Two-Level Maintenance studies), supply support, and contractor support. You can also use COMPASS output data as a source for developing the MAC and SMR codes. COMPASS is a free tool available to both DoD and contractors at: https://www.logsa.army.mil/lec/compass/.
The Cost Analysis Strategy Assessment (CASA) Life-Cycle Cost Estimating Software uses an engineering cost model to estimate total cost of ownership based on RDT&E, Acquisition/Procurement, O&S, and Disposal activities. CASA can help compare the costs of using embedded diagnostics/prognostics versus automatic test equipment. CASA is distributed freely to all US personnel. Request from foreign nations for CASA and associated training and technical support are handled through a Foreign Military Sales Case (FMS). CASA can be obtained here: https://www.logsa.army.mil/lec/casa/.
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