Encapsulation and diagnosis with fault dictionaries

To date, test and diagnosis has been domain knowledge driven. However, as system complexity grows and we strive to develop reusable components, the concept of encapsulation becomes increasingly important. Encapsulation embodies the concepts of separation and partitioning. In this paper we deal with encapsulation by illustration of the fault dictionary approach to digital electronics. We then extend the concept of encapsulation to the system test approach as well as the development of maintenance systems. Finally we develop the concept that encapsulation is a key element in achieving general standardization open system architectures.