Method and system for improving the operational reliability of electronic systems formed of subsystems which perform different functions

摘要

A method and system for improving the reliability of an electronic system formed of subsystems which perform different functions. The electronic system is analyzed to determine which of the subsystems is most likely to cause a system failure and these subsystems are targeted for monitoring and/or correction by a microcontroller unit. The microcontroller unit monitors the inputs and outputs of the targeted subsystems and determines when an output is inappropriate for the corresponding input. When an error is detected, an error code is stored in memory for future reference. When the microcontroller is in a correcting mode, open collector drivers are used to make corrections for an error in a digital output. Where the error generated is for an analog output, a digital to analog converter circuit and voltage followers are employed to impress the correct analog signal on the inappropriate output. The method and system are particularly applicable to weapons systems due to the possibility of critical failures in those systems and the limited space available for using redundant circuitry to improve reliability. In particular, the method and system are applicable to the gyro control unit and the command control unit of a torpedo for monitoring and/or correcting for failures in those systems.