Adding "debug" electronics to electronics to quickly diagnose and repair.

[Skybuck Flying]

Hello,

I had an idea how electronics might be diagnosed and repaired more quickly.

The idea is to add "debug leds" to electronics, and some kind of "debug
circuitry".

The designer knows what kind of inputs and outputs are expected for certain
components.

The designer then adds the debug circuitry to be able to measure if the
inputs and outputs correspond to what is expected.

The debug circuitry could be attached to special power lines or so to be
able to turn them on and off.

So during a repair session an electronics repairman could turn on the "debug
circuitry" and quickly get an idea
of how many components are potentially dead... because the debug leds don't
come on.

All good electronics would have the led on.

All bad electronics would have the led off.

Now the repairman can quickly proceed to the dead electronics and replace
them.

However there might be a problem if certain components depend on the inputs
and outputs of other electronics.

Then a cascade of "false" failures could happen.

To prevent this all electronics would have to be tested seperatedly by the
seperate "debug circuitry"...

As to be able to "debug" all electroncics individually.

So the debug electronics could have two modes:

1. "Cascade mode" where the inputs and outputs are compared to values which
corresponds with a correctly working circuitry.

2. "Individual mode" where the inputs and outputs are compared to individuel
values which correspond with a correctly working component when it's
individually powered on/tested.

Adding this kind of debug electronics would add to the cost so this should
be able to be done cheaply... with some kind of cheap debug electronics.

What do you electronics experts think of this idea, is it feasible or not
feasible ? please motivate your answers !

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[JB]

Hello,

I had an idea how electronics might be diagnosed and repaired more quickly.

The idea is to add "debug leds" to electronics, and some kind of "debug
circuitry".

The designer knows what kind of inputs and outputs are expected for certain
components.

The designer then adds the debug circuitry to be able to measure if the
inputs and outputs correspond to what is expected.

The debug circuitry could be attached to special power lines or so to be
able to turn them on and off.

So during a repair session an electronics repairman could turn on the "debug
circuitry" and quickly get an idea
of how many components are potentially dead... because the debug leds don't
come on.

All good electronics would have the led on.

All bad electronics would have the led off.

Now the repairman can quickly proceed to the dead electronics and replace
them.

However there might be a problem if certain components depend on the inputs
and outputs of other electronics.

Then a cascade of "false" failures could happen.

To prevent this all electronics would have to be tested seperatedly by the
seperate "debug circuitry"...

As to be able to "debug" all electroncics individually.

So the debug electronics could have two modes:

1. "Cascade mode" where the inputs and outputs are compared to values which
corresponds with a correctly working circuitry.

2. "Individual mode" where the inputs and outputs are compared to individuel
values which correspond with a correctly working component when it's
individually powered on/tested.

Adding this kind of debug electronics would add to the cost so this should
be able to be done cheaply... with some kind of cheap debug electronics.

What do you electronics experts think of this idea, is it feasible or not
feasible ? please motivate your answers !

Bye,
Skybuck.

I think the engineers would never do this unless it would tend to make a
fool of electronics experts. Very likely, bean counters would throw it out
before it got that far. In my experience, it is business as usual to
perform repairs in spite of the manufacturer rather than at the direction of
the manufacturer unless you are somehow underwritten by the sales dept.
Internal diagnostics schemes like these typically assist in manufacturing or
sales and are only found in expensive high end equipment..

 

[Skybuck Flying]

I was thinking about "simple" hardware like audio hardware (simple?).

Where there are many little simple components ?

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[Skybuck Flying]

Yes but how usefull are current systems for actually repairing hardware ?

Time-wise too.

Repairman should be able to very quickly spot the defect and replace it...

I am even thinking about easy to remove and plug back components so that
even
non-eletronics experts could repair electronics by simply going to a store
buying the necessary little components and simply stick them into place
without any soldering... that would be cool !

Bye,
Skybuck.

 

[David Nebenzahl]

Yes but how usefull are current systems for actually repairing hardware ?

Time-wise too.

Repairman should be able to very quickly spot the defect and replace it...

You're assuming that manufacturers of such devices would actually want
to make them easily repairable.

The opposite is in fact the case. Almost everything today is made to
just be shitcanned and replaced if it stops working. Repair? What's that?