Role of BIT in support system maintenance and availability

The role of built in test (BIT) in electronic systems has grown in prominence with the advances in system complexity and concern over maintenance lifecycle costs of large systems. In an environment where standards drive system designs (and provide an avenue for focused advancement in technology), standards for BIT are very much in an evolutionary state. The reasons for advancing the effectiveness of BIT include reduced support overhead, greater confidence in operation, and increased system availability. The cost of supporting military electronic systems (avionics, communications and weapons) has driven much of the development in BIT technology. But what about the systems that support these end items that contain test and measurement instrumentation-such as automatic test equipment (ATE), simulators and avionics development suites? There has also been a beneficial effect on the maintenance and availability of these systems due to the infusion of BIT into their component assemblies. But the effect has been much more sporadic and fragmented. This paper looks at the state of BIT in test and measurement instruments, explains its affect on system readiness, and presents ideas on how to improve BIT technologies and standards. This paper does not provide definitive answers to BIT development questions, since the factors that affect it are specific to the instrument itself.