MOCA: Mitigation of Obsolescence Cost Analysis (ISR IP)

For more information, contact ISR External Relations Director
Jeff Coriale at coriale@umd.edu or 301.405.6604.

ISR intellectual property available to license

Inventors
Peter Sandborn, Pameet Singh

Description
Many electronic parts have life cycles that are shorter than the life cycle of the product in which they function. Life cycle mismatches caused by the obsolescence of electronic parts can result in high sustainment costs for long life systems. In particular, avionics and military systems often encounter part obsolescence problems before being fielded and nearly always experience part obsolescence problems during their field life. Researchers at the University of Maryland present a methodology for determining the optimum design refresh (redesign) schedule for long field life electronic systems based on forecasted electronic part obsolescence. The researchers also present a mix of obsolescence mitigation approaches ranging from lifetime buys to part substitution.

The methodology has been demonstrated on a Full Authority Digital Electronic Controller (FADEC) from Honeywell. The method, dubbed MOCA, represents the first methodology for part obsolescence driven design refresh scheduling and optimization. Based on a detailed cost analysis model, the methodology determines the optimum design refresh plan during the field-support-life of the product. The design refresh plan consists of the number of design refresh activities and their respective calendar dates and content to minimize the life cycle sustainment cost of the product. The methodology supports user determined short- and long-term obsolescence mitigation approaches on a per part basis, variable look ahead times associated with design refreshes. Part obsolescence mitigation strategies can be compared to design refreshing part obsolescence elimination strategy.

A researcher at the University of Maryland has developed a "delayed-diversity" communication scheme that solves the problem of fading. The scheme takes advantage of the subtle changes in the characteristics of the atmospheric path between the transmitter and the receiver. By introducing a short delay during a multiple data stream transmission, the probability of a simultaneous error in the streams is markedly reduced. Although the delayed diversity scheme introduces a short latency into the link, data arrives continuously at the receiver. This short delay is of no consequence for data transfer and would not be noticeable during voice communication. Further, the delayed diversity scheme does not require more transmitter power and may also be implemented with simultaneously transmitted, different wavelengths.

It has been demonstrated that delayed diversity significantly reduces fading on a 1 km test range using a 633 nm laser transmitter working at eye-safe intensity levels. Applications of the scheme include optical wireless communications for short-range, high data links in LAN; bridging gaps in ground-based networks as well as ground-to-satellite communications; and packet-switched networks to achieve higher data transmission.

For more information
If you would like to license this intellectual property, have questions, would like to contact the inventors, or need more information, contact ISR External Relations Director Jeff Coriale at coriale@umd.edu or 301.405.6604.

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ISR-IP-Sandborn ISR-IP-obsolescence ISR-IP-manufacturing

Published June 19, 2007