Digital avionics design and reliability analyzer

The description and specifications for a digital avionics design and reliability analyzer are given. Its basic function is to provide for the simulation and emulation of the various fault-tolerant digital avionic computer designs that are developed. It has been established that hardware emulation at the gate-level will be utilized. The primary benefit of emulation to reliability analysis is the fact that it provides the capability to model a system at a very detailed level. Emulation allows the direct insertion of faults into the system, rather than waiting for actual hardware failures to occur. This allows for controlled and accelerated testing of system reaction to hardware failures. There is a trade study which leads to the decision to specify a two-machine system, including an emulation computer connected to a general-purpose computer. There is also an evaluation of potential computers to serve as the emulation computer.