History of On-Board Diagnostics in Aviation
- On-board diagnostic systems, often called OBD systems, refer to a computer component used to monitor an engine and engine performance in an airplane. The system is similar to what's available in modern automobiles. An OBD records error codes that a mechanic can read to troubleshoot problems.
- Consumers have come to recognize the OBD systems in automobiles, which date to the 1970s. The technology has been evolving since the United States' first gas turbine engine went airborne in 1942. The first aircraft engines were hydro-mechanical and depended on a savvy mechanic's ear and eyesight to determine problems.
- OBD systems differ from flight data recorders, the devices often called the plane's "black box." The Civil Aeronautics Board, which preceded the Federal Aviation Administration, mandated black boxes in the 1950s and 60s. The black boxes are sometimes seen as a step in OBD development. In the 1990s, Smith Industries developed a device that served as both a voice and diagnostic recorder.
- OBD systems enable modern aircraft to record nearly everything that happens during flight. Commercial helicopters use similar technology to military Chinooks that monitors flight time, vibration and engine temperature. This takes human error and numbers rounding out of the equation for scheduled parts maintenance.
