Digital System e-Prognostics for Critical Aircraft Computer Systems, Phase I

Impact Technologies, in cooperation with Raytheon, proposes to develop and demonstrate an innovative prognostics approach for aircraft digital electronics. The proposed non-invasive prognostic approach consists of advanced software and a minimal sensing, focused on incipient fault detection, isolating failure modes and predicting remaining useful life using improved prognostic models. The innovations will include development and validation of physics of failure models, applicable to a broad range of CMOS digital systems; associated damage accumulation models; and a signal processing and feature extraction approach for detecting and isolating VLSI failure modes. In this approach, cradle-to-grave health state awareness is achieved through the use of model-based assessments in the absence of fault indications, and by updating these model-based assessments with sensed information. The PowerPC MPC7447 microprocessor will be used for validation testing during this program based on its use in such systems as the F-35 fighter Integrated Core Processor (ICP) and the fact that it is representative of the wide spread CMOS technology found in modern digital devices. Finally, a commercialization path beginning with testing of the technologies within Raytheon's Labs will be presented along with the team's vision of how e-Prognostic technologies can be transitioned into safety critical commercial and military digital.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.