Why Defence Teams Choose ABI
Defence platforms often remain operational for decades, while technical documentation and OEM support can disappear and electronic assemblies become obsolete much sooner. BoardMaster provides comprehensive Power ON and Power OFF test methods for component-level PCB diagnosis, repair and reuse. RevEng recovers missing circuit connectivity and generates Netlists for professional schematic development. Combined with TestFlow, training and certification, these technologies help defence organisations retain technical knowledge, reduce external repair dependency and strengthen sovereign sustainment capability.
“The introduction of ABI’s BoardMaster and RevEng platforms has fundamentally strengthened our approach to electronic obsolescence management, helping us extend platform life, reduce costs by 94-99% across selected programmes with savings running into tens of millions.“
Dr Matt Darkin, Obsolescence Specialist, UK Ministry of Defence NAD.
Build sovereign repair capability
Equip trained defence technicians with the most appropriate diagnostic tools for investigating suitable electronic assemblies within the organisation.
Manage Electronic Obsolescence
Use BoardMaster to diagnose and reuse high-cost assemblies and RevEng to recover missing circuit connectivity and technical data.
Retain Knowledge and Standardise Testing
Capture instructions, instrument settings and results in TestFlow to create repeatable procedures, auditable reports and transferable knowledge.
Defence Applications
ABI equipment supports PCB diagnostics, documentation recovery and repeatable testing across land, naval, airborne, radar and depot-support applications. These technologies contribute to defence maintenance and assurance processes while helping organisations retain critical engineering capability in-house.
Radar & Sensor Systems
- Diagnose radar, sensor-processing and interface PCBs using complementary Power ON and Power OFF test methods.
- Use RevEng to recover circuit connectivity when original technical documentation is unavailable
Communications Electronics
- Investigate faults in communications, radio and encrypted-system support PCBs at the component level.
- Capture controlled test procedures and results through TestFlow while retaining the capability in-house.
Weapons & Mission-System Electronics
- Support bench diagnosis of targeting, fire-control and mission-system PCBs and circuit card assemblies (CCAs).
- Apply repeatable procedures and comparative testing when investigating intermittent and No Fault Found returns.
Land Vehicle & Platform Electronics
- Diagnose control, power, interface and monitoring boards used across long-life land platforms.
- Support repair and obsolescence management where replacement assemblies are scarce or unsupported.
Military Avionics
- Support component-level diagnosis of airborne electronic assemblies and associated test equipment.
- Use board comparison, TestFlow and documentation recovery to improve repeatability and retain engineering knowledge.
Field & Depot Test Equipment
- Diagnose electronics within test sets, support equipment and depot workshop systems.
- Transfer approved procedures between teams while reducing reliance on individual specialists.
Defence Electronics FAQs
Answers on sovereign repair, component analysis and obsolescence management of defence electronics in-house, down to the component level.
What types of defence electronics can BoardMaster test?
BoardMaster supports component-level fault diagnosis on analogue, digital, mixed-signal and power-control PCBs. Applications include electronics used in radar, communications, avionics, navigation, naval control systems, land platforms, power supplies and support equipment.
How do BoardMaster and RevEng support sovereign repair capability?
BoardMaster gives defence engineering teams the tools to diagnose electronic faults at component level, while RevEng can recover circuit connectivity and recreate technical documentation from a working PCB. Together, they help organisations develop controlled in-house repair capability, reuse high-cost electronics, retain technical knowledge, reduce dependence on OEM support and manage obsolescence within their own secure environment.
Can BoardMaster test powered and unpowered defence PCBs?
Yes. BoardMaster combines Power OFF and Power ON diagnostic methods within one system. Power OFF techniques include V-I testing (curve tracing), impedance comparison and in-circuit component testing. Power ON methods include voltage, waveform, frequency, logic and functional measurements.
How can TestFlow support defence maintenance teams?
TestFlow converts engineering knowledge into guided, repeatable test procedures. Each procedure can include instructions, images, videos, instrument settings, measurement limits and automatic result capture. This helps standardise testing across personnel and locations, preserve knowledge from experienced engineers, improve traceability and reduce variation between repeated maintenance activities.
Does ABI repair defence electronics for customers?
No. ABI supplies diagnostic and reverse-engineering equipment, training, certification and technical support so defence organisations can build and control their own in-house capability. The customer remains responsible for the repair process, configuration control, validation and return-to-service approval.
How are safety-critical repairs controlled and approved?
BoardMaster and RevEng provide diagnostic evidence and technical information. TestFlow supports this process by recording test steps, settings, measurements and results for review and audit. Safety-critical work remains subject to the customer’s technical management system and release procedures.
Which defence and aerospace organisations use ABI equipment?
Publicly referenced defence and aerospace users include the UK Ministry of Defence and DECA, Lockheed Martin, Collins Aerospace, Honeywell, Leonardo, Raytheon, the U.S. Army National Guard and NASA. ABI equipment is used across maintenance, repair, production, engineering, component analysis and obsolescence-management applications.
Can ABI equipment support legacy systems when schematics are unavailable?
Yes. BoardMaster can compare measurements, functional data and signatures against a known-good board or stored reference information, allowing many Power OFF and Power ON tests to be performed without a circuit diagram. RevEng complements this by learning connections from a sample PCB and generating a NetList that can be converted into partial or complete CAD schematics.
What results have defence customers achieved?
Across multiple UK Ministry of Defence and DECA programmes, BoardMaster and RevEng have supported reported cost reductions of 94 to 99% compared with traditional replacement strategies, with savings running into tens of millions of pounds. In one naval case, engineers isolated a fault within 15 minutes and repaired the affected equipment at a reported 99% saving, helping the vessel return to service on schedule. Visit our Article section for more case studies.
What training and certification does ABI provide?
ABI provides practical BoardMaster training at its UK facility and at customer locations worldwide. The BoardMaster certification programme has three levels that complement the standard training. Each level includes approximately 25 hours of learning, excluding assessment time, and awards its own certification. Certified operators are allowed to train other users within the organisation.
Successes & Stories
From $6 to $38 Million: The Real Cost of OEM’s Locking Down Repair Rights
Mitigating Risk to Protect Value: How the UK MoD Saved Millions Through Critical Electronics Recovery
Readiness Through Repair: How the US Military is Strengthening Capabilities with Right to Repair
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