Concept Research and Consultation
Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Development
Describe (document) the characteristics of a client’s envisioned product or system (aka a ‘device’ or ‘widget’) from the viewpoint of an individual who will use that device. CONOPS is used to communicate the quantitative and qualitative device characteristics to all stakeholders. Through a series of question and answer sessions with the client, the FEF3 Systems Analyst captures via structured writing and drawings the client’s ideas and concepts for the device, and its intended use.
Concept and Device Validation
A FEF3 analyst assesses the conceptual device and its use (CONOPS) to determine if it feasibility from the material, technology, and cost perspectives. Can it be built with existing materials and technologies? Can it be manufactured and built affordably? Can it be used affordably over time? Is it safe? This is generally done in parallel to CONOPS development, but can be done afterwards.
Requirements Definition
Based on the CONOPS and with the application of systems engineering practices, requirements definition on part of the FEF3 team determines the device’s functional, non-functional, performance, and verification requirements that when met, allow end-to-end performance of the device’s CONOPS. Functional requirements describe what the device is supposed to do, non-functional requirements set how the device is supposed to be, performance requirement document how ‘fast’ the device is to function, and verification requirements determine what tests to apply post-design to ensure all the other requirements are satisfied.
Design And Development Services
Architecture Development
A FEF3 Systems Architect constructs the architecture of the device, an architecture that when fully realized by the organization and design of device’s components, exactly implements the functions and interfaces decomposed from device’s requirements. A “system” architecture is the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and views of a system.
Detailed Design
The FEF3 development team designs the details of the device. The design effort encompasses the device’s logical design (software), its physical design (hardware), its interfaces and final architecture (integration), as well as the data it consumes, processes, stores, or generates.
Fabrication and Assembly Services
Device Implementation
The FEF3 team builds the device per the Detailed Design, initially in prototype form, and then later in final form. Implement is end-to-end encompassing parts procurement and modification (if needed), parts fabrication, coding (software/firmware), device assembly, and test of device components.
Integration and Verification Testing
The FEF3 test team tests the assembled device to discover and resolve interface, functional, performance, and behavioral gaps and overlaps, and to evaluate the device’s compliance to function and performance requirements.
Validation Testing
Device testing (primarily in the environment where the device is intended to be used) to assure that the device meets the needs of the client per the CONOPS – i.e. to establish documented assurances that show that the clients idea / concept is achieved by the device, it is what that the clients expects it to be.
