Can Artifical Intelligence help with troubleshooting??

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Link to report, 'Testplant AI-Powered Predictive Suite Transforms Testing to Speed Delivery of Bug-Free Apps.'

Can a tool such as 'Testplant' allow the processes of troubleshooting, debugging, etc. to become a more intuitive process; especially for people who are "somewhat technically" orientated (yes, there are such people)?

Link: https://www.testplant.com/2018/02/12/te ... free-apps/

Troubleshooting? That's what a pistol is for.

See trouble? Shoot it!

Couldn't resist:

Source: https://xkcd.com/810/

Time to bump-up this discussion thread!

We need computers one's mom can intuitively fix!

I literally "Wrote the Book" on troubleshooting.

Well, one of them, anyway.

Here is a condensed version:

1. "Know the territory". A thorough understanding of the system is necessary for an accurate diagnosis. To this end, the technician is required to read the manuals (you need to know more than the operator/owner), and never start replacing components, devices, or modules just to find out which ones have failed.

2. "Examine the victim." A thorough understanding of the actual fault-related symptoms is necessary for an accurate diagnosis. It often happens that the technician will receive a trouble report stating only "It doesn't work" -- the operator/owner may not be very observant or have the proper vocabulary to describe the problem. This makes it necessary to determine all of the symptoms first-hand. Power the device up (if possible), and observe everything it does (if it does anything). Note the symptoms.

3. "Round up the usual suspects". This means to break down the system into functional blocks and determine which blocks are most likely to cause the actual symptoms. Signal flow is the most important consideration in determining the most likely faulty modules. The technician must also use reason, not guesswork or opinion, when determining the most likely faulty modules. For instance; if the "Power On" indicator is not lit, and system still works correctly, then it is the indicator that has failed, not the power supply (unless the power supply has a special output just for the indicator). Always remember to examine the wiring between modules.

4. "Interrogate Suspects Separately". This is the step where the technician first starts testing DC voltages and AC waveforms. First examine the voltage levels produced by the power supply, both under normal load and with no load at all. Next, examine the supply voltages at the input to the suspected module(s) when the system is powered up in idle mode and when it is operated in active mode.

A note on "Half-Splitting": If all the supply voltages are what they should be under normal operating conditions, then begin examining the signals at points on the signal paths that are as close to halfway between the input and output modules as possible. For example, if there are seven modules in a signal path, then examine the signals either between the third and fourth modules, or the fourth and fifth modules. If there are only two modules, then simply examine the signals between them. Examine control voltages with and without the next module connected.

If the signal cannot be found at that point, then something in the signal path before that point has blocked the signal – either the module before the test point or something before that.

5. "Check out the story." The technician may be tempted at this point to simply replace the suspected part. This is to be avoided, because:

• The suspected part may have failed due to an over-voltage condition from another part, or…
• The suspected part may have damaged another part as it failed, or...
• A fault in the wiring harness may damage any replacement parts.

If possible, substitute a "dummy" load for the suspected part, and then retest. Otherwise, make a thorough examination of all modules that are directly connected to the suspected module.

6. "Act on the Evidence." Once all relevant modules, wiring, and controls have been examined and tested, the technician can begin repairs and/or replacements.

NOTE: Always remove power before replacing components and modules.

But what caused the motor to fail in the first place?

7. "Return to the scene of the crime." Repeat steps two through seven until it can be proven that the system is operating correctly, and that the operator is aware of this. Get the operator's affirmation that the system is running normally. Document all steps.

8. "Ask yourself, 'Why?'" The technician usually must fill out a report on the fault, describing what failed and why. When two or more components or modules have failed, it may be difficult to say which one failed first. Taking into account the conditions under which the failure occurred may provide a clue. Otherwise, a "best guess" based on reason and an understanding of electronics is always in order.