Development of Wire Diagnostic System: Algorithm

Development to Ascertain the True Characteristic

Impedance of a Wire.
Dr. Eric Bechhoefer
Goodrich Fuels and Utility Systems
Vergennes, VT 05491
802-877-4875
Eric.Bechhoefer@Goodrich.com

Dr. Jun Yu
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 656-8539
Jun.Yu @uvm.edu

Abstract—Electronic 1,2 wiring interconnect system (EWIS) TABLE OF CONTENTS

traditionally have been treated as a commodity as apposed
to a system. The EWIS, being responsible for the transfer of
power and information of aircraft systems, represents a point
of failure that is usually considered as a Maintainer’s last
resort. We attempt to develop a diagnostic capability for the
detection and progression of EWIS damage of data using
Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR). TDR measures changes
in EWIS characteristic impedance. Damage, such as chafe,
nicks and corrosion, change the characteristic impedance of
the EWIS, suggesting that detection is dependent upon as
true representation of impedance as possible. Wire
characteristic impedance is corrupted by: multiple reflections
(an artifact resulting from the interaction of the TDR
waveform and changes in impedance on the EWIS), and
attenuation in the high frequency component of the TDR
signal.
A transmission line problem was developed using RLC
circuit model. We present systems of differential equations
to solve for the wire characteristic impedance. This led to a
system of wave equations in terms of line voltage and
current, which we solve by the method of characteristics.
The inverse scattering method was then successfully
implemented to remove multiple reflections. We then control
environmental effects including skin effect, capacitance and
wire resistance to account for attenuation in the TDR signal.
Formulas based on hypothesis as well as derived from the
electromagnetic field theory for the capacitance as a function
of the distance of the wires were developed and tested.
These solutions were then implemented in a hand held
device for the prognostics of EWIS.
1 the line in terms of voltage and current. For a more detailed
0-7803-8155-6/05/$17.00© 2005 IEEE
2 derivation, see Chapter 7 of [5], for example. In Section 3, we
IEEEAC paper #xxxx, updated September
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1.INTRODUCTION.......................................................1104
2.THE RLC CIRCUIT..................................................1105
3.CALCULATING CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCE1106
4.CONTROLLING S IGNAL ATTENUATION.............1107
5. EXAMPLES ................................................................1107
6. DISCUSSION ...........................................................1109
REFERENCES ................................................................1109
BIOGRAPHY................................................................1109
1. INTRODUCTION
The study of the transmission line problem, especially
involving multiple scattering, is important to many
applications. Inverse scattering method provides a powerful
tool to analyze multiple reflections of the waves in the
transmission line. This type of the problem has been applied
to discrete transmission line models [1] and [2], elastic waves
in layered media [3], and electromagnetic scattering [4].
While [1], [3] and [4] dealt with lossless inverse scattering
problems ; [2] studied the problems in lossy and absorbing
media. In our present paper, we focus on developing a
diagnostic procedure for analyzing changes in EWIS
characteristic impedance and for detecting wire damages.
This procedure incorporates inverse scattering algorithm
with formulas derived from data-analysis modeling and
electromagnetic field theory to account for various
environmental effects.
We start, in Section 2, with a general problem formulation for
the wire response, based on Maxwell’s equations.
Representing a transmission line by the distributed
parameter equivalent circuit, we study wave propagation on
describe the implementation of the inverse scattering
algorithm for calculating characteristic impedance in
Goupillaud medium. The center piece of the algorithm is the
so called “layer peeling” method described, for example, in
[6]. In Section 4, we show that the theory can be used to
derive a correction for multiple reflections and the effect of
capacitive and resistance in a transmission line. Examples are
then presented in Section 5 and finally, we do discussion in
Section 6.
2. THE RLC CIRCUIT
When a fast rise time pulse sent down a wire, the measured
voltage response is depended on a number of physical
phenomena. These phenomena can be modeled as a series
RLC circuit.
In the series RLC circuit, the inductor and capacitor are
connected in series. The source-resistor circuit can be
written as a Thevenin equivalent, which reduces to a circuit
that has a voltage source, resistor, inductor, and capacitor
connected in series.
The governing equation for the capacitor voltage vC(t), is
given by:
LC(d2vC)/dt 2 + RC(dvC)/dt + vC = vT, (1)
where L, C and R are constants. The Thevenin voltage vT is
always a known driving force, where the initial conditions
are:
vC(0) = Va, (dvC(0))/dt = I0/C (2)
The second-order differential equation characterizes the
response of the series RLC circuit in terms of the capacitor
voltage. Once the solution of the capacitor voltage is found,
it is possible to solve for every other voltage or current,
including the inductor current, using the element and
connection constraints. This is the solution strategy used
to solve a model of a transmission line.
We consider a lossless transmission line that is switched to
a direct current (DC) source. The model is described by a
distributed inductance and capacitance, with inductance and
capacitance per unit length designated as Ld and Cd,
respectively. The conditions on the line at a time dt after the
connection of the source, when the source voltage has
penetrated a distance dx into the line can now be described.
The capacitance of the energized segment of the line Cd dx
has charged to a voltage of VA, hence a charge of dQ = Cd
dx VA has been transferred.
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DC
Figure 1 Lumped RC Circuit
The current flowing into the line is:
i = dQ/dt = Cd(dx/dt)Va = CdVau, (3)
where u is the velocity of propagation along the line of the
disturbance caused by being switched to the source. The
flow of the current establishes a magnetic flux f , which is
associated with the line inductance: d f=Ld dxi,. i = VA/Z0.
Faraday’s Law states that the rate of change of the flux must
equal the line voltage, e.g.: VA = (df)/dt = LdCdVAu 2. From
this, the velocity of propagation on the line is simply:
u = (Ld Cd) -.5. (4)
Substituting the velocity of propagation back into the
equation for current on the line gives:
i = Va(Cd/Ld) .5. ( 5)
Note that this is the same relationship for resistance, namely:
i=Va/R. The characteristic impedance of the line is: Z0 =
(Ld/Cd) .5, with units of Ohms (O). When a driving voltage
propagates along a line, there is an associated current pulse,
namely, i = Va/Z0. Given this, until a condition on the line
affects the characteristic impedance, (discontinuities such as
a termination), the input impedance of the line is Z0.
The Inverse Scattering Problem—The process
of determining the true transmission line impedance from the
measured waveform is the inverse scattering problem. It is
an extraordinarily difficult problem to solve found in many
fields that studies waves. Some examples include the study
of elastic pressure waves (geology, seismology), sound
waves (acoustics), transmission lines (electrical engineer),
and the wave behavior of matter (quantum mechanics).
Fortunately, the inverse scattering problem for simpler, one-
dimensional system of layered media (a s is the case of
lossless transmission lines) is relatively easy to solve. In
this case, there is a pair of coupled first-order partial
differential equations that govern two-state variables,
current i(x,t) and voltage v(x,t):
∂ v(x,t)/ ∂ x = -Z ∂ i(x,t)/ ∂ t. (6)
∂ i(x,t)/ ∂ x = -Z-1 ∂ v(x,t)/ ∂ t
where Z is the local impedance at the point x.
It can be shown that when there is a mismatch in
characteristic impedance, some small amount of energy is
reflected from the discontinuity. Where there are a number
of these mismatches close to each other on the transmission
path, their reflections interact and generate a number of
reflection artifacts. These artifacts corrupt the measured
 6. DISCUSSION BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Bechhoefer is retired Naval aviator
We have gained a better understanding of wire response by with a M.S. in Operation Research and
solving a system of differential equations for the wire a Ph.D. in General Engineering, with a
characteristic impedance. The inverse scattering algorithm focus on Statistics and Optimization.
and normalization for frequency attenuation has been Dr. Bechhoefer has worked at
successfully implemented in a hand held diagnostic tool, Goodrich Aerospace since 2000 as a
which allows for an improved characterization of a EWIS. Diagnostics Technical Lead. He has
While not all fault features (such as a chafe of a single wire) previously worked at The MITRE
can be identified, we believe that we have the best Corporation in the Signal Processing
representation of wire characteristic impedance possible. Center.

Identification of wire features, such as chafes and nicks, is Dr. Yu is a Professor and Associate
important when trouble shooting and diagnosing EWIS Chair in the Dept. of Mathematics and
damage and failure. We feel that moving to a condition Statistics at the University of Vermont
based management (CDB) paradigm (i.e. tracking changes in with a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics
EWIS characteristic impedance mean and variance, etc) will from University of Washington in
allow for identification of gross system degradation that is Seattle (1988), focusing on Theory of
not identifiable via machine recognition. Finally, we realized Partial Differential Equations and
that this is a complicated problem due to the geometry of the Nonlinear Waves.
wire configuration and additional work in detection
algorithms is needed in order to find certain “soft faults”,
such as chafe in single wire. We have identified a number of
directions along which we would like to explore further, such
as the effect of inductive cross coupling due to the
numerous wires in close proximity within a harness.

REFERENCES
[1] A.M. Bruckstein and T. Kailath, “Inverse Scattering for
Discrete Transmission-Line Models,” SIAM Review, Vol. 29,
No. 3, pp. 359-389, 1987.

[2] J. Frolik, “Forward and Inverse Scattering for Discrete

One-Dimensional Lossy and Discretized Two-Dimensional
Lossless Media,” Ph. D. Thesis, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, MI, 1995.

[3] J. Berryman and R. Greene, “Discrete Inverse Methods

for Elastic Waves in Layered Media,” Geophysics, Vol. 45,
No. 2, pp. 213-33, 1980.

[4] P. Smith, “Digital Realization of Forward and Inverse

Models of Electromagnetic Scattering,” Electronics Letters,
Vol. 25, pp. 816-7, 1989.

[5] N.N. Rao, Elements of Engineering Electromagnetics.

Englewood Cliffs, Prentice Hall, 1991.

[6] G.M.L Gladwell, Inverse Problems in Scattering, An

Introduction. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1993.

[7] M.A. Heald, and J.B. Marion, Classical Electromagnetic

Radiation. Fort Worth, Harcourt Brace College Publishers,
1995.

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