Avionics diagnostics innovation
NAVAIR Lakehurst Awarded Patent

December 21, 2009: LAKEHURST, NJ – When a red warning light comes on in your car, it usually means it is time to take it in to the mechanic to diagnose the problem. Electrical systems on modern day aircraft work much the same way. Warning lights in the cockpit indicate a failure or problem with some operational system. Consequently aircraft maintenance specialists remove the box or group of boxes that make up the system indicating the problem. The boxes are replaced with new equipment and the removed boxes are sent to the intermediate level for further diagnostics and repair.

The limitation with this method of maintenance is that the diagnostics used to identify the problem sometimes only indicates to the maintainer which sub-system has failed. This usually means several boxes need to be pulled and replaced even though the problem may only exist in one specific area. As a result, significant manpower and resources are used that could otherwise be saved if the diagnostic process were more precise.

Since 2004, engineers from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Lakehurst have been working on an avionics diagnostics system which can isolate the faults in aircraft electrical equipment and specifically identify the “break” or problem without the need of removing and replacing all suspected failed items. Under the leadership of NAVAIR electrical engineer Dr. Russell Shannon and the inventors, Anthony D’Annunzio, John Quiter and Megan Casey, a Smart Connector Team was established. They worked to develop this technology by creating two prototype systems. Recently they were awarded a patent, (US Patent #7,626,398) for a Support Equipment (SE) device which isolates the fault in an avionics electrical system and even detect degradation prior to failure.

The team completed the proof-of-concept phase in January 2008 and demonstrated the ability to fully diagnose faulty or degraded boxes, or Weapons Replacement Assemblies (WRAs) in the laboratory in November 2009. With additional funding of $500,000, the team now has a year to show the system’s capabilities on aircraft in the field. Additionally, they are being tasked to work with a Joint Defense Program Office to use their “Fault Isolation” process to improve diagnostics on an aircraft system used by several branches of the military.

Over time, the potential exists to save hundreds of millions of dollars in man hours and resources once this new diagnostic device is up and running in the field. The engineers and scientists at NAVAIR Lakehurst continue to be on the forefront of developing cutting edge technology that improves the operational readiness of the aviation capabilities of the U.S. Navy.