Electronics Prognostics Reference Architecture

Electronics prognostics can be defined as the prediction of the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of electronic components before a failure occurs. This field, while immature, is increasingly important to Raytheonpsilas customers. Raytheon must develop a common and synergistic strategy to address new prognostic requirements. For this reason, Raytheon established a Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) (formerly known as Health Management System) Technology Information Group (TIG) to coordinate these efforts. The PHM TIG identified the need for an Electronics Prognostics Reference Architecture (ePRA) to use in proposals and during the evaluation of new systems with prognostics requirements. With that need in mind the authors of this paper employed the Raytheon Enterprise Architecture Process
¹
(REAP) to create an ePRA. A list of ldquomust haverdquo requirements for the ePRA were derived that enable its use across many Raytheon projects. Additionally, a list of quality attributes was created for the ePRA. Together these requirements and attributes led to the creation of supporting Department of Defense Architecture Framework
²
(DoDAF) views. While there are numerous evolutionary concerns in the area of electronics prognostics, compliance with and the evolution of this ePRA will position Raytheon well to rapidly respond to its customerspsila growing prognostics requirements. The evolution of prognostic systems will fortify Raytheonpsilas customer focus by supplementing highly reliable products with RUL predictions. This will allow for ldquojust in timerdquo replacement of components, improvement within the logistics chain, and a reduction of down-time for the user in an increasingly mobile battlespace. The ePRA developed in this paper will guide the implementation and incorporation of electronics prognostics into Raytheonpsilas products.