SIDES-Segment Interconnect Diagnostic Expert System

The authors describe SIDES, an intelligent program designed to diagnose SIs (segment interconnects) both in situ as they operate in a data acquisition network, and in the laboratory in an acceptance/repair environment. They discuss issues such as knowledge acquisition and the extraction of knowledge from human experts and other knowledge sources. It is noted that SIDES can benefit high-energy-physics experiments, where SI problems can be diagnosed and solved more quickly. Equipment pool technicians can also benefit from SIDES, which decreases the number of SIs erroneously turned in for repair and acts as an intelligent assistant to the technician in the diagnosis and repair process.<
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