Design analysis research at Aberystwyth

This is a list of design analysis research, past and present, undertaken at UW Aberystwyth.

SoftFMEA The project addresses the modelling challenges presented by the latest range of automotive systems that include integrated microprocessor based systems communicating in real time over multiple networks. The project will provide the modelling techniques required to allow the existing FMEA and other design analysis tools to work on these new software based systems.

DOUGAL This project extends the work from Aquavit and AutoSteve (see below) to develop "whole vehicle, whole lifecycle electrical design analysis". The project is to develop simulation techniques which enable automated design analysis (FMEA, sneak circuit analysis, design verification) using the most accurate information available at that point in the design process.

AQUAVIT This project follows on from the work done on Flame (see below), considering the use of model-based reasoning in automating several electrical design analysis tasks, including fault tree analysis, sneak circuit analysis, and design verification.

GenMech The aim of the project is to investigate the feasibility of automating mechanical failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) for automotive subsystems employing qualitative reasoning techniques on representations of mechanical systems constructed from existing information sources such as CAD models and functional specifications.

QPAC This project is looking at the reuse of process FMEA information in troubleshooting and vice versa. It uses case-based reasoning to organise and access past knowledge about process problems.

AutoSteve This project has taken the FMEA automation programs written in Pop11 during the FLAME project (see below), and reimplemented them in C++ commercial strength software, linked to the electrical design tool PowerView. AutoSteve is now developed and sold by FirstEarth, a spin off company from this department.

The FLAME Project This project has automated the process of producing an FMEA report. The circuit to be analysed can be loaded into FLAME from an ECAD tool, and the description of the functions of the circuit can be loaded from a library of such descriptions. Once the two have been linked, the system is capable of identifying each possible failure mode, simulating it and recording the result.