Future automatic test equipment portable maintenance aids

The concept of a portable maintenance aid (PMA) is proposed to aid in the advancement of weapon system maintenance and support. The PMA concept is discussed along with background information, desired capabilities, and the current status of some PMA development activities. The PMA attributes considered are memory and display requirements, technician interface, measurement capabilities, decision making (e.g. expert system use), weapon system interface, and portability requirements. The PMA is projected to be the sole source of maintenance information, to provide an interactive diagnostic capability, to serve as a training aid, and to eliminate the paperwork involved in scheduling and reporting maintenance actions and ordering parts equipment. It will be versatile enough to serve a number of systems in almost any environment, including the shop, field, or even space