Maintainers target wiring problems Published May 4, 2004 SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (ACCNS) -- The 4th Component Maintenance Squadron here has created a process that could potentially change the way the Air Force troubleshoots electronic systems.Members of the unit combined one-of-a-kind hardware with locally written software programs to locate wiring problems within three minutes -- in contrast to the 20-plus hours sometimes needed to accomplish the job manually.The Eclypse Company makes the tester, but our airmen write the programs that enable us to test the wiring on the F-15E quickly and easily, said Master Sgt. Stephen Hoggard, 4th CMS chief, electronic and environmental section.Eventually, the tester will be brought out onto the flight line to troubleshoot aircraft wiring.Senior Airman Timothy Weaver, a 4th CMS technician, is creating programs for the Eclypse Tester to troubleshoot the wiring on the Strike Eagle. Mr. Tom Jordan, from Air Force Engineering and Technical Services, is also involved in the programming process.I research the schematics for the specific system, and then I write a program for it, Airman Weaver said. I also build test cables that connect the Eclypse Tester to wire harnesses and components.The equipment can be used to test any electrical device if a program is written for it.If its electronic, it can test it, Airman Weaver said.Individual testing software programs for every system on the F-15E can cost more than $7,000 each if bought from a civilian contractor, according to Sergeant Hoggard.Tasks such as troubleshooting a secondary power harness, which is an extremely long and pain-staking process, can take up to a month to complete, but the Eclypse Tester can accomplish the task within a few minutes, Airman Weaver explained.Sergeant Hoggard said the $75,000 tester quickly paid for itself by saving massive amounts of manpower and numerous hours of aircraft downtime.The Eclypse Tester is more accurate, faster and easier to use than anything Ive seen, and we simply cant build anything that can do what it can in this shop, Sergeant Hoggard said.The device was purchased in September and the programming is still in the early stages of development, according to 1st Lt. David Grassie, 4th CMS assistant accessory flight commander.The process is still maturing, but we think the Eclypse will greatly improve a fighter wings ability to maintain the combat capability of aging aircraft, Lieutenant Grassie said The tester has the potential to be used on every aircraft in the Air Force inventory, not just the F-15E.