The first of the three Eplan-based tools is used to modify and redesign the electrical and electronic components of the telescope system and testing equipment. The second tool is a maintenance and repair solution centred around the harness master diagram, which provides an overview of the entire telescope. The third and final tool focuses on quality assurance, providing proof of documentation for all the telescope’s cabling. 

Beckmann explains why the Eplan option module is so important: “When the telescope was provided, no replacement units existed. We currently develop and make these in-house at DSI or have them rebuilt by manufacturers. Since the technology changes a lot, improvements of course become incorporated into any replicated components. Replacement units therefore may have the same interface to the telescope, but a completely different internal structure. The option module ensures that the DSI team can act quickly in the event of an error and that SOFIA always takes off for the next mission with the latest documentation status.”

This solution is also used for tasks such as airworthiness approvals and revision management monitoring. The very different documents originally provided by the telescope component suppliers posed a challenge for the SOFIA team when the software was being rolled out. “We couldn’t just transfer the documents 1:1. Each document had to be adapted and undergo some reassignment within the structure. In some cases, documents were missing or couldn’t be clearly portrayed, so we had to check the system functions and, if unclear, our colleagues in California checked them during maintenance work,” explains Beckmann. 

Everyone involved in the 18-month project was passionately committed to transferring the highly complex documentation into Eplan – a major team effort.