Intermittent Fault Detector™ Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) Test Summary

Introduction:

Test Location:  Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), Marine Corp Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point

Project Type:  Limited Purpose Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (LP-CRADA)

Date:  12-14 June 2018

Test Procedures:

1.   AutoMap™ – discover the Unit Under Test (UUT) true as-wired configuration
2.   Continuity – test for open circuits and measure resistance against established AutoMap baseline (open circuits / high resistance tests)
3.   Shorts – provide shorts indication and shorts tracing
4.   Intermittence – monitor all circuits to detect and isolate all three Stages of intermittent faults (see Graphic 1)
5.   Fault Isolation – detect intermittent faults to root cause through programmatic isolation

Graphic 1 – Three Stages of an Intermittent Fault

Stage 1 – random low-level nanosecond microbreaks, likely not operationally evident yet, but on curve of degradation to become Stage 2
Stage 2 – intermittent failure evident to pilot in operation, reported to ground crew, passes ground test and labeled No Trouble Found (NTF) or No Fault Found (NFF), on curve of degradation to become Stage 3
Stage 3 – semi-hard or hard failures, Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) and troubleshooting tools such as DMMs designed to detect hard faults (open circuits or shorted circuits)

Results:

The AWTS Rudder Cable was selected by MCAS Cherry Point Engineer as the first AWTS cable to test on the Portable Intermittent Fault Detector (PIFD).

AWTS Rudder Cable P/N: 18D5297-1

AWTS Rudder Cable Connect to IFD via AWTS Patch Cable

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we connected the PIFD to the AWTS Rudder Cable – P/N: 18D5297-1. The following test functions were performed:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS Rudder Cable
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS Rudder Cable was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS Rudder Cable and the cable was certified as intermittent free
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the V-22 modified Rudder Actuator Cable (built by Steve Baxley, Advanced Technology Team, FRCE – to create repeatable intermittent events)
  • Standard continuity check on the V-22 modified Rudder Actuator Cable was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the V-22 modified Rudder Actuator Cable and the cable was certified as intermittent free

AWTS Rudder Cable P/N: 18D5297-1 connected to PIFD via AWTS Patch Cable

V-22 Modified Rudder Actuator Cable

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we then connected the PIFD to the AWTS V-22 CCFDA (Cockpit Control Functional Display Actuator) Cable – P/N: 18D90118-1. The following test functions were performed on two cables:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cable #1
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cable #1 was performed cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cable #1 and the cable was certified as intermittent free
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cable #2
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cable #2 was performed cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cable #2 and the cable was certified as intermittent free

Advanced Technology Team Engineer utilizing PIFD to test AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cables

AWTS V-22 CCFDA Cables P/N: 18D90118-1

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we next connected the PIFD to the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable which consists of four separate cables – W1 P/N: 18D90271-1, W2 P/N: 18D90272-1, W3 P/N: 18D90273-1, W4 P/N: 18D90274-1. The following test functions were performed on the four cables:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W1
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W1 was performed and cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W1 and the cable was certified as intermittent free
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W2
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W2 was performed and cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W2 and the cable was certified as intermittent free
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W3
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W3 was performed and cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W3 and the cable was certified as intermittent free
  • AutoMap utilized to find the as-wired configuration and mapped the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W4
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W4 was performed and cable passed continuity testing although there was high ohmic resistance deviation (believed to be attributable to the connector style of the wrap-around connector)
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS H1 YZ MLVA (Memory Loader Verifier Assembly) Cable W4 and intermittence was detected and isolated on test point 31, node 17 and test point 7 node 4 located in and around the cable splice – there was also intermittence detected due to the cannon plug threading issue not tightening…

Four AWTS H1 YZ Memory Loader Verifier Assembly Cables

V-22 Cannon Plug Intermittence Screen

Intermittence was detected and isolated in the cable splice of W4

Cannon Plug Connection issue caused Intermittence to show throughout cable – threading issue highlighted potential field issue when connecting asset

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we next connected the PIFD to the AWTS Remote Switching Valve Cable – P/N: 18D5386-1. The following test functions were performed:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS Remote Switching Valve Cable
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS Remote Switching Valve Cable was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS Remote Switching Valve Cable and the cable was certified as intermittent free

AWTS Remote Switching Valve Cable

AWTS Remote Switching Valve Cable P/N: 18D5386-1

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we next connected the PIFD to the AWTS W1 HFCM/HFCUM – P/N: 18D5287-1. The following test functions were performed on two cables:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS W1 HFCM/HFCUM Cable #1
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS W1 HFCM/HFCUM Cable #1 was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS W1 HFCM/HFCUM Cable #1 and intermittence was detected and isolated on test point 45, node 1
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS W1 HFCM/HFCUM Cable #2
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS W1 HFCM/HFCUM Cable #2 was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
    Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS W1 HFCM/HFCUM Cable #2 and intermittence was detected and isolated on test point 45, node 1

AWTS W1 HFMC/HFCUM Cable P/N: 18D5287-1

AWTS W1 HFMC/HFCUM Cable P/N: 18D5287-1

PIFD Cable #1 display screen isolating intermittence

AWTS HFCM/HFCUM Intermittence

AWTS W1 HFMC/HFCUM Cable P/N: 18D5287-1

PIFD Cable #2 display screen isolating intermittence

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we next connected the PIFD to the AWTS Cockpit Control Thrust Drive Actuator – P/N: 18D5371-1. The following test functions were performed:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS Cockpit Control Thrust Drive Actuator Cable
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS Cockpit Control Thrust Drive Actuator Cable was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS Cockpit Control Thrust Drive Actuator Cable and the cable was certified as intermittent free

AWTS Cockpit Control Thrust Drive Actuator Cable P/N: 18D5371-1

AWTS Cockpit Control Thrust Drive Actuator Cable P/N: 18D5371-1

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we next connected the PIFD to the AWTS W1 WRM/RCV Cable – P/N: 18D5366-1. The following test functions were performed:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS W1 WRM/RCV Cable
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS W1 WRM/RCV Cable was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS W1 WRM/RCV Cable and the cable was certified as intermittent free

AWTS W1 WRM/RCV Cable P/N: 18D5366-1

AWTS W1 WRM/RCV Cable P/N: 18D5366-1

• Utilizing the AWTS patch cable we next connected the PIFD to the AWTS BBCM/Utility Isolation Valve Cable – P/N: 18D5361-1. The following test functions were performed:
  • AutoMap function was performed to map the AWTS BBCM/Utility Isolation Valve Cable
  • Standard continuity check on the AWTS BBCM/Utility Isolation Valve Cable was performed and the cable passed continuity testing
  • Intermittence testing was performed on the AWTS BBCM/Utility Isolation Valve Cable and the cable was certified as intermittent free

AWTS BBCM/Utility Isolation Valve Cable P/N: 18D5361-1

AWTS BBCM/Utility Isolation Valve Cable P/N: 18D5361-1

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