COMPUTER-CONTROLLED EQUIPMENT TESTING - SPEED, ACCURACY AND IMPROVED ANALYSIS

As shipboard radio communication systems (RCSs) become more complex an d crew size continues to be reduced, the requirement for an automated, condition-based maintenance system is imperative. Personal computers can be programmed to provide full equipment testing that is capable of digital interface as well as automated and semi-automated testing of equipment that is not buss-controllable. Some of the advantages of com puter-controlled equipment testing (CCET) include increased accuracy r epeatability, and data-collection capability for in-depth analysis. Ho wever, the paramount advantage of CCET is speed. This paper will descr ibe various methods of remote testing, including using a LAN, the Inte rnet, and the telephone system. It will detail application software de veloped to test the Aegis-class destroyers' RCS equipment. This paper examines CCET as it is presently applied to the Aegis Board of Inspect ion and Survey (INSURV) support program. Additionally, the condition-b ased maintenance (CBM) application developed for over-the-air system t esting of the Navy's UHF line-of-sight (LOS) system installed on the U SS Yorktown (CG 48) as part of the Smart Ship project will be describe d. This paper will also describe CCET methods to use charged-coupled d evice (CCD) miniature cameras to read analog meters, gauges, or entire gauge boards.