Microelectronics application for GBR-X testability

A summary is presented of the testability developments under a major US Army radar project, ground based radar-experimental (GBR-X), giving requirements derivation and allocation, design methodology, descriptions of the application to one of the major hardware items using the distributed microprocessors within it, and the discipline testability program and results. Testability and diagnostics requirements for GBR-X are derived from the mission availability and dependability specifications using a model based on the mission time line. The parametric results of the analysis show that for GBR-X premission check-out efficiency is the dominant factor, with online fault detection also significant. It is concluded that the development of a very complicated and large system using hardware varying in design maturity from off-the-shelf to dedicated newly designed hardware can be controlled to provide a high level of predicated testability by the interaction of testability considerations into the early conceptual stages of system and circuit design