Thermal imaging is the sole basis for repairing circuit cards in the F-16 flight control panel

When the card-level tester for the F-16 flight control panel (FLCP) had been dysfunctional for over 18 months, infrared (IR) thermography was investigated as a viable alternative for diagnosing and repairing the 7 cards in the FLCP box. Using thermal imaging alone, over 20 FLCP boxes were made serviceable, thus bringing the FLCP out of Awaiting Parts (AWP) status. In the current environment of downsizing, the problem of returning the card level tester to functionality is remote. Success of the imager points to corresponding inadequacies of the Automatic Test Equipment to detect certain kinds of failure. In particular, we were informed that one particular relay had never been ordered in the life of the F-16 system, whereas some cards became functional when the relay was the sole component replaced. The incorporation of a novel on-the-fly neural network paradigm, the Neural Radiant Energy Detection System (NREDS) now has the capability to make correct assessments from a large history of repair data. By surveying the historical data, the network makes assessments about relevant repair actions and probable component malfunctions. On FLCP A-2 cards, a repair accuracy of 11 out of 12 was achieved during the first repair attempt.