Simulation as an aid to power supply diagnostics [for F-15 plane]

Off-line modeling of electronic circuitry including power supply circuitry is available in several software packages. These packages can be hosted on personal computer or workstation platforms. Modeling of power supply circuit configurations allows the circuit designer to analyze the circuit for stability and component stress and to select components. Circuits are typically modelled as 5 to 15 components where a component may be one or more physical components. While simulation and modeling are necessary for power supply design and design analysis, the use of simulation tools for power supply testing is not widely recognized. Simulation allows a fault to be inserted without damaging the power supply under test. This benefit is particularly important because failures in power supplies often have an avalanche effect. One failure can propagate to damage several other components. This paper explores the application of simulation to the design of diagnostic fault trees of the Test Program Set.