Failure: “100 m range” is not an RF requirement
Two prototypes communicate across a quiet field at 100 m. Can the product team now promise 100 m in a factory?
Our illustrative engineering case is a battery-powered condition-monitoring node sending telemetry near 2.450 GHz to a low-cost gateway. Marketing asks for “100 m range, two-year battery, reliable near Wi-Fi, and sell globally.” Those are stakeholder claims to investigate. None arrives with a settled installation, radio standard, traffic schedule or market configuration.
Think about itIs NEED-01, ‘Reach 100 m’, already testable as a product requirement?
No. A tape measure supplies distance, but it cannot supply geometry, antenna states, environment, payload/latency, interference or the population over which delivery must succeed. Calling a successful quiet-field demonstration a pass replaces the intended use case with an easier one. Calling the statement useless also misses its value: it identifies an outcome to clarify with product.
Begin with the failure that matters: a missed condition report, a late alert, or premature maintenance. Product owns the consequence and acceptance language. RF systems owns the interface allocations. Antenna/channel engineering owns evidence connecting installed R2 ports through S0 to the receiving port. Keep service range open until those pieces agree.
NEED-01 · owner Product + antenna/channel · plane S0 · mode TBD · Illustrative / missing evidence · decision: do not approve service range; request installation and reliability definitions first.
Bring the waveform and rate conventions, port definitions, and component evidence pack from Paths 02–04. This module uses those models to frame a decision; it does not re-derive them.
A number can be a hope, an allocation, a prediction or a measurement. Its role, conditions, source and evidence determine what decision it can support.
Go deeperOne successful demonstration is one observation
A recorded observation at a named site can become a measured result with its setup and uncertainty attached. It does not become a guaranteed minimum across all installations. Product must define that broader population before an engineer can propose suitable sampling or channel evidence.
The next step is to describe use before selecting a radio architecture.
Define the use scenarios first
What does the user need to happen, and what would make that outcome fail?
A use scenario describes an outcome in context. “Report a bearing condition before maintenance is needed” still leaves payload, alert latency and availability open, but it explains why the radio exists. A scenario should name the installation and maintenance context as well as the RF environment. The following entries are questions owned by people, not disguised specifications.
| Scenario / outcome | Environment, installation, traffic | Owner / evidence / consequence |
|---|---|---|
| SC-01 · routine telemetry | Installation geometry, antenna mounting, payload size, interval, latency and delivery population TBD. Sleep between reports is a candidate. | Product + RF systems; D0 ↔ S0; normal modes TBD; missing use-case evidence. Agree the service definition before promising 100 m. |
| SC-02 · interference during a report | Nearby transmitter coupling, spectrum, duty and concurrent wanted packet timing TBD. Technology name alone is insufficient. | RF coexistence; R2 in coexistence; missing threat evidence. Obtain a coupled-input description before 05.4. |
| SC-03 · battery maintenance | Usable energy, temperature/aging, retry history, startup and regulator/cutoff TBD. Replacement access and acceptable downtime TBD. | Power systems + product; D0 service boundary; sleep/startup/TX/RX; missing duty/energy evidence. Two years remains a claim. |
| LAB-25C · arithmetic/review exercise | 25 °C, 3.0 V node, matched 50 Ω R2, 2.450 GHz; declared QPSK burst. Illustrative conditions supplied only for REQ-TX-01. | RF systems; telemetry-TX; allocated exercise conditions. Review conducted power only; no field, lifetime or market conclusion. |
Separating SC-01 from LAB-25C prevents a familiar mistake: a well-defined lab row can be complete while the field claim is still ambiguous. The lab fixture says nothing about wet enclosures, machinery shadowing, gateway placement or an unavailable maintenance window. These are candidate questions, not assumed features of the final product.
NASA’s system-design discussion links stakeholder expectations to operating concepts and technical requirements. Here that becomes a small local scenario record with an owner and a closure action, rather than project-management infrastructure. NASA SEH §4.1.1.2 and §4.2.
Go deeperVerification and validation ask different questions
Verification checks a stated requirement under its declared conditions. Validation asks whether meeting that requirement serves the stakeholder’s intended use. A verified +9 to +11 dBm lab output could still belong to a product that fails its installed telemetry use case. Neither activity replaces the other.
Now split each scenario into physically possible modes so its conditions can coexist.
Operational modes and worst credible combinations
Should a worst-case worksheet add maximum sleep, receive and transmit current at the same instant?
For the illustrative single-radio node, sleep, startup, receive and transmit are separate states. A current budget is a time-weighted combination of their durations and current distributions. A coexistence condition, however, can overlay an active receive window because a nearby independent transmitter can emit while the gateway listens. Mode definitions determine which combinations are physically credible.
| Mode | Credible simultaneous conditions | Rejected combination / decision |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep · power owner · D0 service context | Idle time with battery temperature and aging state; usable energy and leakage evidence TBD. | Do not add full receive and TX current to sleep current for the same exclusive radio. Allocate duration first. |
| Startup · RF/power owners · R1 and D0 | Reference and rail startup with a low-battery state if the battery model supports it. | A counter lock indication is not proof of a usable burst. Request startup energy and spectral readiness evidence. |
| Telemetry-TX · transmitter owner · R2 | An active packet and supply droop can coexist. Installed mismatch requires its own characterized configuration. | Matched-load power data cannot establish antenna-load power. Keep the transformation and evidence open. |
| Receive / coexistence · receiver owner · R2 → R3 | Wanted weak packet plus coupled independent blocker, at a physically justified time and entry plane. | Do not infer a blocker level from “near Wi-Fi.” Require a threat description and wanted-quality criterion. |
| Fault · system owner · declared interface TBD | Brownout/recovery or a disconnected antenna only if identified as a product fault scenario. | Do not combine contradictory switch states into an all-extremes corner. Define required fault behavior before allocating it. |
A worst-credible corner needs a physical story. For example, an aged battery at an agreed low temperature may have both reduced usable energy and greater source resistance, so startup current could cause extra droop. The actual values and joint distribution remain TBD. Combining “cold battery” with “maximum hot PA junction temperature” requires a transient or environmental rationale; the labels alone do not establish simultaneity.
Check state exclusivity, correlation and timing. An impossible corner can force needless cost; ignoring a credible combination can hide a real failure. The owner must document why the selected corner could occur.
Go deeperMode names are keys, not physics proofs
The gate compares frozen mode/environment/configuration IDs. Different IDs stop automatic comparison; identical IDs only permit the arithmetic check. Human review must still establish that each ID’s physical definition is adequate. Pending scenario IDs never count as known conditions.
Once context is explicit, a requirement sentence can name exactly what needs to be evaluated.
Write a complete requirement statement
What must stay attached to “+10 dBm” when the statement leaves your notebook?
Use one subject and one measurable property. State its comparator or closed interval, operating conditions, interface and population. Assign an owner and a verification class while the statement is being written. Method choice may expose a missing averaging window, inaccessible plane or undefined acceptance statistic before the design makes it expensive to fix.
The following is REQ-TX-01, an Illustrative exercise child of NEED-05. Its +9 to +11 dBm interval and lab conditions are explicitly supplied exercise assumptions; they are not an interpretation silently added to the marketing request.
- Subject and quantity
- The node shall provide burst-average forward conducted power…
- Closed limit and interface
- …from +9 to +11 dBm at matched 50 Ω R2…
- Conditions and waveform
- …in nominal telemetry-TX mode at 2.450 GHz, 25 °C and 3.0 V, using QPSK-20K-RRC035…
- Population and averaging window
- …for each accepted unit, averaged over the 256 mapped symbols (25.6 ms); filter tails excluded from this exercise window.
- Ownership and evidence
- Owner: RF systems. Verification class: test. Setup/calibration/uncertainty procedure: TBD, owned by Validation. Evidence: Illustrative / missing.
That sentence is structurally complete: the applicable fields are supplied. The remaining procedure uncertainty is an explicit inspect—verification procedure unresolved warning. The second preset supplies SYNTHETIC-PROC-TX-01 and allocated evidence, making “ready for technical review” reachable. Neither state asserts a measured pass.
Inspect the complete static review row and its diagnostics
18 / 18 applicable fields supplied. Coverage is diagnostic completeness, never a feasibility score.
Workbook: ready for technical review. 2 rows. Inspect warnings remain separate. No product approval, legal compliance, or verified performance is issued.
Conditional statement · requirement
REQ-TX-01 · requirement · Illustrative/missing The node shall provide +9 to +11 dBm burst-average forward conducted power at matched R2 in nominal telemetry-TX mode under LAB-25C and NODE-3V-MATCHED for each accepted unit. Conditional structured record: power; [9, 11] dBm; 2.450 GHz; 25 °C; 3.0 V; matched 50 Ω; 256 mapped symbols, 25.6 ms; filter tails excluded from averaging.; mode telemetry-TX; environment LAB-25C; configuration NODE-3V-MATCHED; plane R2; forward conducted / matched / burst-average; waveform QPSK-20K-RRC035; bandwidth not applicable: total waveform power. Population: Each accepted unit; deterministic limit; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: NEED-05; sources: EXERCISE-P05; model p05-m01-quality-gate-v1. Verification: test; procedure TBD; procedure owner Validation; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner RF systems. Open: TBD setup and measurement uncertainty procedure; Validation owns closure.. Owner: RF systems. Next: Validation to define matched R2 fixture, burst averaging, calibration and uncertainty procedure..
Repair diagnostics
No diagnostic in this category. This is not technical approval.
Inspect evidence and assumptions
- RQ-10 · inspect · REQ-TX-01 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-11 · inspect · REQ-TX-01 · assumptions, owner, nextAction
TBD setup and measurement uncertainty procedure; Validation owns closure.
Unresolved assumptions stay in the conditional baseline, including structurally complete rows. Keep the unknown visible and assign its first discriminating closure action.
Trace up to the need · down to the evidence
- Parent IDs ↑
- NEED-05 (RF systems)
- Selected row
- REQ-TX-01 · RF systems · R2 · telemetry-TX
- Child IDs ↓
- No child allocation entered.
- Source → method → next action
- EXERCISE-P05 → test. Apply a specified stimulus and evaluate response with setup, calibration, averaging and uncertainty defined. Validation to define matched R2 fixture, burst averaging, calibration and uncertainty procedure.
| Rows | Decision | Common-basis explanation |
|---|---|---|
| No same-quantity pair | No comparison performed | Add two requirements/allocations. Different quantities, targets, assumptions and results are not intersected. |
Workbook coverage and remaining row diagnostics
| ID / class | Coverage | State / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| NEED-05 · assumption | 3 / 3 | ready for technical review · Illustrative/missing |
| REQ-TX-01 · requirement | 18 / 18 | ready for technical review · Illustrative/missing |
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-05 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-11 · inspect · NEED-05 · assumptions, owner, nextAction
TBD tolerance, plane transform, forward/accepted/radiated definition, waveform, frequency/mode/temperature and procedure.
Unresolved assumptions stay in the conditional baseline, including structurally complete rows. Keep the unknown visible and assign its first discriminating closure action.
All committed row records · included in print
NEED-05 · assumption · Illustrative/missing Investigate nominal +10 dBm transmit behavior. RF systems shall resolve R1 versus R2, forward/accepted/radiated power, matched load, burst-average/peak convention, tolerance, frequency, mode and temperature before a requirement is baselined. The separate REQ-TX-01 exercise supplies its own illustrative interval. Conditional structured record: power; limit TBD dBm; Nominal transmit request; tolerance and averaging definition TBD.; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model p05-m01-quality-gate-v1. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner Validation; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: TBD tolerance, plane transform, forward/accepted/radiated definition, waveform, frequency/mode/temperature and procedure.. Owner: RF systems. Next: Agree R1/R2 power definition, waveform, tolerance and operating conditions; request validation setup and uncertainty procedure..
REQ-TX-01 · requirement · Illustrative/missing The node shall provide +9 to +11 dBm burst-average forward conducted power at matched R2 in nominal telemetry-TX mode under LAB-25C and NODE-3V-MATCHED for each accepted unit. Conditional structured record: power; [9, 11] dBm; 2.450 GHz; 25 °C; 3.0 V; matched 50 Ω; 256 mapped symbols, 25.6 ms; filter tails excluded from averaging.; mode telemetry-TX; environment LAB-25C; configuration NODE-3V-MATCHED; plane R2; forward conducted / matched / burst-average; waveform QPSK-20K-RRC035; bandwidth not applicable: total waveform power. Population: Each accepted unit; deterministic limit; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: NEED-05; sources: EXERCISE-P05; model p05-m01-quality-gate-v1. Verification: test; procedure TBD; procedure owner Validation; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner RF systems. Open: TBD setup and measurement uncertainty procedure; Validation owns closure.. Owner: RF systems. Next: Validation to define matched R2 fixture, burst averaging, calibration and uncertainty procedure..
The rule checklist below adapts good-requirement questions about clarity, completeness, consistency, traceability and verifiability. Its RF field rules and diagnostic IDs are local teaching conventions; NASA and INCOSE do not mandate this fictional consumer-product record. NASA SEH Appendix C and Appendix D.
“Typical” may describe a representative device or an unspecified central value. “Each accepted unit” is a different claim. A percentile concerns a named population; confidence concerns an estimate from evidence. Do not promote a typical curve into a minimum guarantee by filling a statistic field.
Go deeperGrammar can pass while the engineering decision stays open
The engine checks structured fields, not the meaning of arbitrary prose. Its lexicon only flags selected words. A plausible sentence can still contain an infeasible limit, unsupported source or inappropriate verification approach; those require technical review and evidence.
A complete sentence becomes useful when it shares a consistent basis with the other constraints.
Balance link, throughput, energy, coexistence, size, cost, and markets
Can the radio simultaneously claim 20 kbit/s, one short burst per second, and a two-year battery life?
First identify the rate at every boundary. The portfolio normal-mode waveform has 20.0 kbit/s uncoded information mapping, QPSK at 10.0 ksymbol/s, RRC roll-off 0.35 and 80.0 ksample/s complex at D3. A teaching burst contains 256 mapped symbols. Coding, framing, retries, startup and pulse-filter tails are excluded from the following arithmetic.
Think about itOne 256-symbol QPSK burst per second: is long-term application throughput 20 kbit/s or 512 bit/s?
The long-term mapped throughput is 512 bit/s. Even that is not a demonstrated D0 application rate because overhead, retries and payload mapping are excluded. 20 kbit/s is the active mapping rate. Treating it as the long-term rate quietly removes the idle interval.
At the active mapping rate the same 512 bits occupy 25.6 ms. Over the one-second exercise schedule they occupy only part of the observation interval. The mismatch is a rate-population contradiction, not a reason to change the portfolio waveform. Product and baseband must reconcile D0 payload, D1 coded/framed rate, latency and observation interval.
This is a charge-allocation bound over exactly two 365-day years. “Usable” already includes whatever derating its supplied definition includes; subtracting that derating again double counts it. An actual life prediction also needs voltage/energy, self-discharge, regulator and cutoff behavior, temperature/aging, startup and current distributions, traffic, retries, sleep and receive duty. No one has supplied those product inputs.
| Constraint / owner | Coupling to other needs | Decision / evidence state |
|---|---|---|
| Link · RF + antenna/channel · R2/S0 | TX power and receive threshold depend on channel/antenna evidence; more output may increase energy or distortion. | NEED-01 open; 05.2/05.3/05.5 and Path 06 must reconcile the link. |
| Throughput + energy · baseband/power · D0/D1 | Retries and listening alter long-term throughput and usable battery budget together. | NEED-02/04 open; the independent 512 bit/s and 114.155251 µA calculations are allocations only. |
| Coexistence · RF coexistence · R2/R3 | Filtering, gain and power/schedule choices affect blocker survival and weak-signal behavior. | NEED-03 open; require coupled threat evidence for 05.4. |
| Size + cost · mechanical/product/sourcing · product boundary | Enclosure/antenna installation may change link behavior; integration may trade BOM against development/test effort. | Size limit unsupplied. NEED-07 cost, currency/base date, quantity, assembly/test/NRE scope TBD; no quotation invented. |
| Markets · product + Paths 07/09 · configuration boundary | Intended technology/configurations can change the evidence needed and feasible architecture. | NEED-08 stays an open question; no global RF obligation is inferred. |
The ideal RC null-to-null support is 13.5 kHz. It is neither a channel allocation nor receiver ENBW. The D3 80 ksample/s complex rate is also distinct from the later 80 MS/s analog-converter candidate. Preserve both distinctions in every future budget.
Go deeperA system constraint can move the best component choice
Egan’s published Chapter 5 summary describes how noise and nonlinear effects jointly constrain dynamic range. That is why the lowest component noise figure alone cannot settle a system allocation. The detailed receiver budget and blocker analysis belong to 05.3/05.4. Egan, Practical RF System Design (2003), Chapter 5 summary.
Before comparing numbers, label which ones are obligations, provisional assignments or observations.
Requirement, allocation, assumption, target, or result?
If a simulation produces +8 dBm, has it changed a +10 dBm requirement?
No. A result describes model or hardware behavior under its recorded conditions. A requirement states a needed behavior and traces to its source. Moving a requirement to match a prediction without revisiting that source creates circular justification: the design “passes” because its own output became the acceptance criterion.
| Class | Example with owner / plane / mode | Evidence role and decision |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | REQ-TX-01; RF systems; matched R2; telemetry-TX; +9 to +11 dBm interval supplied for exercise. | Illustrative / missing procedure. It constrains review; it does not report a measurement. |
| Allocation | NEED-02 → 114.155251 µA upper charge allocation; power systems; D0 service/DC budget; per-mode schedule TBD. | Derived / allocated. It divides an assumed resource; it cannot establish life by itself. |
| Assumption | 2000 mAh usable charge and exactly 17,520 h; power systems; product charge boundary; exercise schedule only. | Illustrative / allocated, parent NEED-02. Revisit the allocation when either assumption changes. |
| Target | Investigate nominal +10 dBm; RF systems; plane/mode/definition TBD. | Illustrative / missing. A design aim permits exploration; it supplies no acceptance interval. |
| Result | A predicted +8 dBm at matched R2, burst-average telemetry-TX; RF model owner. | Derived or Simulated / supported only by the cited model and inputs; never relabelled Measured. Compare to a separately justified bound. |
Evidence type and maturity are independent axes. “Derived” describes how a number was obtained; “allocated” describes its role and present support. “Measured” requires actual acquisition context. Selecting it in this teaching interface cannot manufacture that evidence, so the gate keeps an inspection warning. An unsupported normative or market claim behaves the same way.
A test may require a connector, accessible mode, stable averaging interval or a decision threshold. If these were omitted, the proposed requirement might be impossible to verify without changing the product. Assign a method early and leave detailed procedures with Path 08.
Go deeperClass-specific completeness avoids fake numeric limits
An assumption can record an open market question with a source, owner and next action. It is not forced to invent a power limit. A numerical requirement or allocation instead needs conditions, a population and a comparison basis. The same filled form is not appropriate for every class.
Now compare a justified limit to its prediction without confusing the gap with uncertainty.
Margin, reserve, guard band, and uncertainty are different
Why is the available margin +2 dB in one power ledger and +3 dB in the other?
Think about itFor P ≤ +10 dBm with prediction +8 dBm, and P ≥ −115 dBm with prediction −112 dBm, which subtraction gives a positive margin?
For a maximum, use limit − prediction: 10 − 8 = 2 dB. For a minimum, use prediction − limit: −112 − (−115) = 3 dB. Reusing the first subtraction for a minimum falsely reports −3 dB. A positive value means the prediction is on the acceptable side of that supplied bound under common conditions; it does not prove the prediction.
| Bound and prediction | Signed engineering margin | Ownership / conditions / decision |
|---|---|---|
| P ≤ +10 dBm; predicted +8 dBm | limit − prediction = 10 − 8 = +2 dB | RF systems; NEED-05 exercise; matched R2 forward burst-average telemetry-TX, same waveform/conditions. Keep model uncertainty separate. |
| P ≥ −115 dBm; predicted −112 dBm | prediction − limit = −112 − (−115) = +3 dB | Receiver systems; NEED-01 receive-power exercise; common R2 wanted-power definition in receive. This bound is not a complete sensitivity specification. |
| +8 dBm at R1 versus a +10 dBm bound at R2 | Unknown; no direct comparison | RF systems must supply R1→R2 transformation. A numerical gap across different planes is not a margin. |
| Term | Meaning / owner | Double-counting trap |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering margin | Calculated signed gap to a named bound, owned by that requirement’s engineering owner. | Do not deduct the same planned reserve twice and still call the remainder the original margin. |
| Reserve | Deliberately unassigned allowance under a named budget owner’s control. | A source ID transferred to a child allocation is not also free reserve at the parent. |
| Guard band | Deliberate separation from a boundary in a stated acceptance or design rule; rule owner must explain purpose. | A guard band already included in the limit must not be silently subtracted again. |
| Uncertainty | Description of incomplete knowledge or measurement dispersion under a stated model, owned by model/validation specialists. | Do not treat it as spendable margin or automatically add every contribution arithmetically. |
The duplicate-charge rule uses source/allocation ID plus named budget path. Two separate 2 dB allowances with independent sources are not duplicates because their values match. A single named allowance charged at two stages of the same budget is a duplication even if its displayed values differ.
Go deeperWhen is root-sum-square justified?
For a linearized combination, covariance terms matter when contributions are correlated. Root-sum-square is appropriate for the relevant standard-uncertainty contributions only under the required independence or zero-covariance assumptions. A worst-bound sum and a probabilistic uncertainty statement answer different questions. Do not run RSS on unnamed allowances. NIST TN 1297 §5.
Extra TX power can consume charge and increase distortion; extra filtering can consume receive noise budget. Move margin where evidence identifies the sensitive constraint, with an owner and a traceable trade.
These distinctions become enforceable when related rows can be traced and compared on the same basis.
Trace product claims to verification and back
If the battery schedule changes, which RF allocations need to be revisited?
A parent-to-child link explains why an allocation exists; the child-to-parent view shows which need it serves. Reverse traversal turns a new observation into an impact question. The five children below form three complete claim-to-allocation-to-requested-evidence chains. The destinations are curriculum handoffs, not evidence already delivered.
| Parent ↔ child | Owner / plane / mode | First discriminating evidence |
|---|---|---|
| NEED-01 → ALLOC-RX; ALLOC-RX → parent NEED-01 | Receive threshold allocation; Receiver systems; R2; receive; Illustrative / allocated | 05.2 frequency plan + 05.3 gain/noise evidence. Request waveform/ENBW/output-quality conditions before allocating receiver threshold. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-01 → ALLOC-TX; ALLOC-TX → parent NEED-01 | Transmit interface allocation; Transmitter systems; R2; telemetry-TX; Illustrative / allocated | 05.5 conducted-power and energy evidence. Request port power, loss, waveform fidelity and operating conditions. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-01 → ALLOC-CHANNEL; ALLOC-CHANNEL → parent NEED-01 | Antenna/channel allocation; Antenna/channel engineering; S0; receive; Illustrative / allocated | Path 06 installed antenna/channel distribution. Survey physical geometry and antennas; obtain wanted-power distribution for the agreed population. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-02 → ALLOC-ENERGY; ALLOC-ENERGY → parent NEED-02 | Per-mode energy and duty allocation; Power systems; D0; telemetry-TX; Illustrative / allocated | 05.5 per-message and idle energy evidence. Obtain startup/sleep/TX/RX distributions, retry schedule, usable battery energy and regulator/cutoff. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-03 → ALLOC-BLOCKER; ALLOC-BLOCKER → parent NEED-03 | Coupled-blocker interface allocation; RF coexistence; R2; coexistence; Illustrative / allocated | 05.4 wanted/blocker operating corners. Measure or justify coupled blocker spectrum/power/duty at R2 with wanted-quality criterion. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
NEED-01 now exposes receive, transmit and channel responsibilities. NEED-02 connects duty and energy to 05.5. NEED-03 connects a coupled blocker at R2 to the wanted-quality decision in 05.4. Each allocation has a parent and owner, while its numeric value and supporting evidence remain TBD. An orphan row lacks that explanation. A cycle points back to itself instead of independent justification.
Think about itCan P ≥ +12 dBm and P ≤ +10 dBm both be satisfied in the same mode and conditions?
No: the feasible closed intervals do not intersect. More complete fields cannot repair the conflict. If only one row changes mode, the pair is no longer automatically comparable; it is not proof that the two-mode product is feasible. Review both mode definitions and their own constraints.
| Pair | Decision | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Same telemetry-TX mode; lower +12 / upper +10 dBm | empty interval | The strongest lower bound 12 exceeds upper bound 10 dBm under identical conditions. |
| Lower +12 dBm in receive; upper +10 dBm in telemetry-TX | not comparable—clarify | Unknown or different: mode. No plane or condition transformation supplied. |
| Same conditions; lower 10 mW / upper +10 dBm | Singleton boundary: +10 dBm | 10 log₁₀(10 mW / 1 mW) = +10 dBm. Authorized positive linear-power conversion; touching closed bounds are feasible. |
The engine intersects only requirements/allocations with matching quantity, supported unit transformation, mode, environment, configuration, plane, waveform/power/bandwidth definition and population keys. Missing or different keys produce “not comparable—clarify.” Different quantities are not compared. It detects the demonstrated scalar contradiction, not every possible system inconsistency.
The back-link identifies who must respond when a limit, duty schedule or evidence assumption changes. A missing link can hide an unsupported allocation; a cycle can make the same unsupported belief look like independent evidence.
Go deeperStable IDs must survive editing
Reordering the workbook cannot change diagnostics or physics. Referenced deletion displays its dependent children and requires an explicit repair action; the repair leaves an unresolved rationale on those children. IDs are never reused just because a row moved or disappeared.
With the dependency exposed, choose evidence that could change the decision soonest.
Rank uncertainty and retire risk early
Which uncertainty should the team investigate before it buys a more powerful PA?
Rank uncertainty with a reason, not a spurious decimal score. Compare consequence if wrong, present uncertainty, whether the failure would be detected early, and the cost of a discriminating experiment. These are ordinal judgments owned by the engineering team; multiplying arbitrary ranks does not create a probability of failure.
| Question / owner / plane / mode | Consequence, uncertainty, detectability, cost | Evidence request and possible decision |
|---|---|---|
| Does SC-01 describe the actual installation? Product + antenna/channel; S0; use mode TBD. | Large impact on the entire 100 m claim; unknown geometry/population; bench power tests would miss it; an early site/context survey is relatively inexpensive. | Agree installation and delivery population first. A difficult channel could change gateway placement, antennas or architecture before PA selection. |
| What couples into R2 while the gateway receives? RF coexistence; R2; coexistence. | Could invalidate a low-noise front end; threat level unknown; quiet-bench sensitivity misses the failure; bounded coupling characterization can discriminate candidates. | Request coupled blocker spectrum, power and duty with wanted-quality criterion; revisit filtering/gain allocation in 05.4. |
| Is the assumed battery resource usable under the traffic history? Power systems; DC/D0 boundary; startup/TX/RX/sleep schedule. | May invalidate service life; duty, aging and cutoff unknown; average-current arithmetic alone misses peaks and retries; characterize mode energy before a long life trial. | Request battery usable-energy definition and current-versus-time records. Revise the allocation in 05.5 instead of declaring a two-year pass. |
| Which markets/configurations are intended? Product + Paths 07/09; configuration boundary; applicable modes TBD. | May alter architecture/evidence scope; geographic intent absent; late discovery may be costly; an early configuration/market inventory is modest effort. | Produce an owned question list. No automatic legal or technology conclusion follows. |
A useful experiment can falsify a candidate. “Collect more data” has no stopping condition; “obtain an installed wanted-power distribution for the agreed population so the receiver allocation can be accepted or rejected” identifies what would change. If the population is still unresolved, the first evidence request is a stakeholder clarification, not a measurement campaign.
Market intent, product variants, technology choices and authority questions must be scoped before applicable obligations can be researched. Paths 07/09 own that work. Filling a country or limit at random would create false certainty.
Go deeperRisk retirement is not always a larger test
An inexpensive disconfirming observation can be worth more than an elaborate demonstration of already-known behavior. Separate the cost of obtaining evidence from the consequence of being wrong; record both the proposed next step and what decision it could overturn.
Now preserve the open questions and owners in a baseline another engineer can review.
Baseline the node/gateway requirements table
What can you responsibly baseline while the installation, battery schedule and market plan are still unknown?
Baseline the conditional record: what the stakeholder said, the defensible rewrite, the known interface and model, the unresolved assumptions, conflicts, owners and next evidence request. “Conditional” means the record is stable enough to discuss, not that its product performance has been accepted. An honest TBD with a closure action is better than a made-up PER threshold, confidence level, blocker limit, cost or legal obligation.
Requirement Quality Gate
Repair a structured statement, then inspect its assumptions, comparisons and trace links. This local rule engine reads the fields you supply. It does not understand prose, decide RF feasibility, or determine legal applicability.
- Predict what NEED-01 leaves unknown. Load its model answer; assign owners while channel and reliability stay TBD.
- Work the 512 bit/s rate example above. Load the +12/+10 dBm contradiction, then change only the selected row’s mode to receive and validate.
- Load the three trace chains. Inspect both directions, then print your conditional baseline.
Manage the small teaching workbook
Stable IDs survive reordering. Deleting a referenced row requires the explicit repair action below and leaves an unresolved rationale on each child.
Results, copy and print describe the committed workbook. Initial values are also available without JavaScript.
4 / 14 applicable fields supplied. Coverage is diagnostic completeness, never a feasibility score.
Workbook: needs clarification. 8 rows. Inspect warnings remain separate. No product approval, legal compliance, or verified performance is issued.
Conditional statement · requirement
NEED-01 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Reach 100 m. Conditional structured record: range; ≥ 100 m; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
Repair diagnostics
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · configuration
configuration: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · definition
definition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · environment
environment: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · mode
mode: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · plane
plane: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · population
population: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · statistic
statistic: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-01 · verification
verification: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-04 · clarify · NEED-01 · statistic, population, sampleMethod
Population/statistical method unresolved.
Typical, guaranteed minimum, yield and confidence describe different populations. Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context.
Inspect evidence and assumptions
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-01 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
Trace up to the need · down to the evidence
- Parent IDs ↑
- None; inspect root source.
- Selected row
- NEED-01 · owner TBD · unresolved · unresolved
- Child IDs ↓
- No child allocation entered.
- Source → method → next action
- BRIEF-P05 → unresolved. Name the evidence method while the requirement is still editable. Closure action TBD.
| Rows | Decision | Common-basis explanation |
|---|---|---|
| No same-quantity pair | No comparison performed | Add two requirements/allocations. Different quantities, targets, assumptions and results are not intersected. |
Workbook coverage and remaining row diagnostics
| ID / class | Coverage | State / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| NEED-01 · requirement | 4 / 14 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
| NEED-02 · requirement | 2 / 13 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
| NEED-03 · requirement | 2 / 16 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
| NEED-04 · requirement | 2 / 13 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
| NEED-05 · requirement | 2 / 16 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
| NEED-06 · requirement | 2 / 16 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
| NEED-07 · requirement | 2 / 13 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
| NEED-08 · assumption | 1 / 3 | needs clarification · Illustrative/missing |
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · comparator
comparator: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · configuration
configuration: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · definition
definition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · environment
environment: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · mode
mode: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · plane
plane: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · population
population: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · statistic
statistic: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-02 · verification
verification: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-04 · clarify · NEED-02 · statistic, population, sampleMethod
Population/statistical method unresolved.
Typical, guaranteed minimum, yield and confidence describe different populations. Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · bandwidth
bandwidth: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · comparator
comparator: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · configuration
configuration: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · definition
definition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · environment
environment: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · mode
mode: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · plane
plane: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · population
population: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · powerDefinition
powerDefinition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · statistic
statistic: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · verification
verification: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-03 · waveform
waveform: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-03 · clarify · NEED-03 · plane, powerDefinition, waveform, bandwidth
RF power conditions are missing or incompatible.
Sensitivity/blocker fixtures use R2; radiated quantities require S0. A transformation is not inferred. Name a compatible RF plane, waveform, bandwidth and power convention.
- RQ-04 · clarify · NEED-03 · statistic, population, sampleMethod
Population/statistical method unresolved.
Typical, guaranteed minimum, yield and confidence describe different populations. Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · comparator
comparator: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · configuration
configuration: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · definition
definition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · environment
environment: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · mode
mode: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · plane
plane: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · population
population: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · statistic
statistic: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-04 · verification
verification: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-04 · clarify · NEED-04 · statistic, population, sampleMethod
Population/statistical method unresolved.
Typical, guaranteed minimum, yield and confidence describe different populations. Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · bandwidth
bandwidth: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · comparator
comparator: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · configuration
configuration: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · definition
definition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · environment
environment: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · mode
mode: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · plane
plane: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · population
population: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · powerDefinition
powerDefinition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · statistic
statistic: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · verification
verification: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-05 · waveform
waveform: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-03 · clarify · NEED-05 · plane, powerDefinition, waveform, bandwidth
RF power conditions are missing or incompatible.
Sensitivity/blocker fixtures use R2; radiated quantities require S0. A transformation is not inferred. Name a compatible RF plane, waveform, bandwidth and power convention.
- RQ-04 · clarify · NEED-05 · statistic, population, sampleMethod
Population/statistical method unresolved.
Typical, guaranteed minimum, yield and confidence describe different populations. Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · bandwidth
bandwidth: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · comparator
comparator: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · configuration
configuration: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · definition
definition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · environment
environment: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · mode
mode: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · plane
plane: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · population
population: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · powerDefinition
powerDefinition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · statistic
statistic: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · verification
verification: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-06 · waveform
waveform: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-03 · clarify · NEED-06 · plane, powerDefinition, waveform, bandwidth
RF power conditions are missing or incompatible.
Sensitivity/blocker fixtures use R2; radiated quantities require S0. A transformation is not inferred. Name a compatible RF plane, waveform, bandwidth and power convention.
- RQ-04 · clarify · NEED-06 · statistic, population, sampleMethod
Population/statistical method unresolved.
Typical, guaranteed minimum, yield and confidence describe different populations. Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · comparator
comparator: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · configuration
configuration: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · definition
definition: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · environment
environment: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · mode
mode: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · plane
plane: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · population
population: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · statistic
statistic: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-07 · verification
verification: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-04 · clarify · NEED-07 · statistic, population, sampleMethod
Population/statistical method unresolved.
Typical, guaranteed minimum, yield and confidence describe different populations. Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-08 · nextAction
nextAction: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-08 · owner
owner: missing or explicitly unresolved.
Applicable field coverage is not a feasibility score. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-01 · clarify · NEED-08 · procedureOwner
Unresolved procedure has no closure owner.
An unknown needs someone responsible for closing it. Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action.
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-02 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-03 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-04 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-05 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-06 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-07 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-10 · inspect · NEED-08 · maturity, evidenceRef, procedure
Verification procedure unresolved.
This teaching engine cannot authenticate hardware evidence, normative applicability, or external procedures. Allocated evidence is not a measurement. Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware.
- RQ-05 · advisory · NEED-03 · statement
Pinned lexicon matched: reliable.
Advisory lexical match only; quotations and repaired statements can still match. Inspect the matched word; the lexicon is advisory and cannot interpret intent.
- RQ-05 · advisory · NEED-07 · statement
Pinned lexicon matched: cheap.
Advisory lexical match only; quotations and repaired statements can still match. Inspect the matched word; the lexicon is advisory and cannot interpret intent.
- RQ-05 · advisory · NEED-08 · statement
Pinned lexicon matched: globally.
Advisory lexical match only; quotations and repaired statements can still match. Inspect the matched word; the lexicon is advisory and cannot interpret intent.
All committed row records · included in print
NEED-01 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Reach 100 m. Conditional structured record: range; ≥ 100 m; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
NEED-02 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Last two years. Conditional structured record: duration; limit TBD h; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
NEED-03 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Reliable near Wi-Fi. Conditional structured record: blocker tolerance; limit TBD dBm; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
NEED-04 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Send 20 kbit/s. Conditional structured record: throughput; limit TBD bit/s; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
NEED-05 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Transmit +10 dBm. Conditional structured record: power; limit TBD dBm; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
NEED-06 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Sensitivity is −115 dBm. Conditional structured record: sensitivity; limit TBD dBm; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
NEED-07 · requirement · Illustrative/missing Use a cheap gateway. Conditional structured record: cost; limit TBD currency units; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
NEED-08 · assumption · Illustrative/missing Sell globally. Conditional structured record: market/configuration; market scope TBD; no numeric RF limit; definition TBD; mode unresolved; environment unresolved; configuration unresolved; plane unresolved; unresolved; waveform unresolved; bandwidth unresolved. Population: TBD; unresolved; percentile not applicable; confidence not applicable; sample/method TBD. Parents: none; sources: BRIEF-P05; model TBD. Verification: unresolved; procedure TBD; procedure owner TBD; evidence TBD. Margin: none; source none; budget none; owner TBD. Open: none entered; not proof of absence. Owner: TBD. Next: TBD.
Model/rules: p05-m01-quality-gate-v1 · fixture: p05-m01-requirements-v1 · serialization: p05-m01-workbook-json-v1 · precision: p05-m01-display-v1. Inputs retain full precision; derived displays use up to six decimals. Class 1 teaching model. No persistence.
Conditional node/gateway requirements baseline
All eight rows below are Illustrative; product-specific evidence is missing. The rewrites are defensible examples, not unique correct answers. Copy the record and retain each unresolved condition. The independent numerical exercises keep their own parent IDs and assumptions.
NEED-01 · “Reach 100 m.”
Conditional rewrite: Investigate service at 100 m for the node/gateway. Geometry, environment, installation, antenna configuration, payload, latency, interference and reliability population are TBD. Product owns the use-case acceptance; antenna/channel engineering owns Path 06 evidence. Service range stays open.
- Owner / interface / mode
- Product + antenna/channel · S0 · mode and schedule TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: ALLOC-RX, ALLOC-TX, ALLOC-CHANNEL. Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD geometry/environment/installation/antennas; TBD payload/latency; TBD interference and reliability population; Path 06 channel evidence missing.
- First discriminating evidence request
- Survey installation geometry and traffic; agree reliability population, then request Path 06 channel evidence.
NEED-02 · “Last two years.”
Conditional rewrite: Investigate two years between battery maintenance for the declared traffic and operating environment, both TBD. Power systems shall establish usable energy, temperature/aging, sleep/startup/TX/RX durations, retries, regulator efficiency and cutoff. A current allocation alone cannot close lifetime.
- Owner / interface / mode
- Power systems · D0 · mode and schedule TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: ALLOC-ENERGY. Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD calendar/lifetime convention; usable battery energy, temperature/aging, traffic/retries, current distributions, regulator/cutoff.
- First discriminating evidence request
- Agree calendar and maintenance definition; obtain usable battery energy and per-mode current/duty/retry data for 05.5.
NEED-03 · “Reliable near Wi-Fi.”
Conditional rewrite: During a declared coexistence scenario, assess wanted telemetry quality against a criterion TBD, with coupled blocker level, spectrum, duty and entry plane established by RF coexistence. Wi-Fi is a threat description; distance alone does not supply the input power or susceptibility.
- Owner / interface / mode
- RF coexistence · R2 · coexistence; detailed timing TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: ALLOC-BLOCKER. Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD wanted quality criterion, blocker coupled level/spectrum/duty, configuration, population and sample method.
- First discriminating evidence request
- Characterize coupled blocker power, spectrum and duty at R2; agree wanted-quality criterion with product for 05.4.
NEED-04 · “Send 20 kbit/s.”
Conditional rewrite: Separate the 20.0 kbit/s uncoded/no-overhead active mapping exercise from required application throughput at D0, which is TBD. Baseband owns framing/coding/mapping and product owns payload/latency and the traffic schedule. Name active-burst versus long-term rate before accepting a limit.
- Owner / interface / mode
- Product + baseband · D0 · mode and schedule TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: allocation TBD. Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD D0 throughput, framing/coding, retry and latency policy, long-term schedule and population.
- First discriminating evidence request
- Agree D0 payload rate and latency over a named observation interval; account for D1 framing/coding, retries and idle time.
NEED-05 · “Transmit +10 dBm.”
Conditional rewrite: Investigate nominal +10 dBm transmit behavior. RF systems shall resolve R1 versus R2, forward/accepted/radiated power, matched load, burst-average/peak convention, tolerance, frequency, mode and temperature before a requirement is baselined. The separate REQ-TX-01 exercise supplies its own illustrative interval.
- Owner / interface / mode
- RF systems · unresolved · mode and schedule TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: REQ-TX-01 (separate illustrative exercise). Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD tolerance, plane transform, forward/accepted/radiated definition, waveform, frequency/mode/temperature and procedure.
- First discriminating evidence request
- Agree R1/R2 power definition, waveform, tolerance and operating conditions; request validation setup and uncertainty procedure.
NEED-06 · “Sensitivity is −115 dBm.”
Conditional rewrite: Investigate the −115 dBm receiver-input claim at R2 under waveform, noise bandwidth, SNR/BER/PER criterion, source temperature and gain-state conditions, all TBD. Receiver systems owns the allocation; validation owns the evidence method. The scalar alone establishes neither a pass nor a range.
- Owner / interface / mode
- Receiver systems · R2 · mode and schedule TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: allocation TBD. Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD waveform, receiver ENBW, SNR/BER/PER criterion, source temperature, gain state, population and test conditions.
- First discriminating evidence request
- Agree R2 waveform, ENBW, output criterion, source temperature, gain state and test procedure for 05.3.
NEED-07 · “Use a cheap gateway.”
Conditional rewrite: Establish a gateway cost boundary before choosing architecture. Product and sourcing own currency, base date, quantity, BOM scope, assembly/test/NRE inclusion and acceptable power/schedule trades, all TBD. No market quotation or cost threshold is supplied by this exercise.
- Owner / interface / mode
- Product + sourcing · D0 · mode and schedule TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: allocation TBD. Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD currency/base date, order quantity, BOM boundary, assembly/test/NRE and power/schedule trade.
- First discriminating evidence request
- Define currency/base date, quantity and BOM boundary including assembly/test/NRE; obtain a dated quotation and trade power/schedule.
NEED-08 · “Sell globally.”
Conditional rewrite: Treat global sales as an open market/configuration question. Product shall name intended markets, configurations and technologies; Paths 07/09 own authority and technology applicability review. No country, authorization, limit or legal obligation is inferred from this phrase.
- Owner / interface / mode
- Product + Paths 07/09 · unresolved · mode and schedule TBD.
- Source / children / evidence
- BRIEF-P05. Children: allocation TBD. Illustrative / missing. Verification class and procedure TBD.
- Unresolved assumptions
- TBD intended markets/configurations/technologies and authority questions; Paths 07/09 review required.
- First discriminating evidence request
- List intended markets and product configurations, then assign technology/authority questions to Paths 07/09.
| Record | Decision | Owner / next action |
|---|---|---|
| NEED-04 + one-burst-per-second exercise | 20 kbit/s active mapping ≠ 512 bit/s long-term mapped rate; D0 throughput still TBD. | Product/baseband: agree payload, traffic, overhead and latency before accepting throughput. |
| ALLOC-TX-MIN / ALLOC-TX-MAX exercise | +12 lower / +10 upper at common R2 is invalid; differing modes need clarification. | RF systems: reconcile the requirement source or justify separate modes. No field-count score overrides this. |
| REQ-TX-01 | Structurally complete; inspect—verification procedure unresolved. Synthetic procedure variant is review-ready with allocated evidence only. | Validation: supply and review actual setup/uncertainty procedure; RF systems retains interval ownership. |
| NEED-01/02/03 trace children | Unsupported numerical allocations stay open; three chains point to missing evidence. | Assigned receiver/transmitter/channel/power/coexistence owners: deliver the listed evidence before technical approval. |
| Parent ↔ child | Owner / plane / mode | First discriminating evidence |
|---|---|---|
| NEED-01 → ALLOC-RX; ALLOC-RX → parent NEED-01 | Receive threshold allocation; Receiver systems; R2; receive; Illustrative / allocated | 05.2 frequency plan + 05.3 gain/noise evidence. Request waveform/ENBW/output-quality conditions before allocating receiver threshold. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-01 → ALLOC-TX; ALLOC-TX → parent NEED-01 | Transmit interface allocation; Transmitter systems; R2; telemetry-TX; Illustrative / allocated | 05.5 conducted-power and energy evidence. Request port power, loss, waveform fidelity and operating conditions. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-01 → ALLOC-CHANNEL; ALLOC-CHANNEL → parent NEED-01 | Antenna/channel allocation; Antenna/channel engineering; S0; receive; Illustrative / allocated | Path 06 installed antenna/channel distribution. Survey physical geometry and antennas; obtain wanted-power distribution for the agreed population. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-02 → ALLOC-ENERGY; ALLOC-ENERGY → parent NEED-02 | Per-mode energy and duty allocation; Power systems; D0; telemetry-TX; Illustrative / allocated | 05.5 per-message and idle energy evidence. Obtain startup/sleep/TX/RX distributions, retry schedule, usable battery energy and regulator/cutoff. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
| NEED-03 → ALLOC-BLOCKER; ALLOC-BLOCKER → parent NEED-03 | Coupled-blocker interface allocation; RF coexistence; R2; coexistence; Illustrative / allocated | 05.4 wanted/blocker operating corners. Measure or justify coupled blocker spectrum/power/duty at R2 with wanted-quality criterion. Limit and supporting evidence TBD. |
Rule checklist and provenance · reproducible without JavaScript
| Stable ID / diagnostic | Repair action | Provenance / limitation |
|---|---|---|
| RQ-01 missing-field | Supply the applicable field or retain a named TBD with owner and closure action. | NASA Appendix C checklist informs the question; exact fields, lexicon and diagnostics are local, not normative. |
| RQ-02 unit-or-direction | Use supported units, finite in-domain values, and ordered closed bounds. | Local derivation: dimensions, closed-interval intersection, deterministic graph traversal, source-ID accounting. |
| RQ-03 power-plane-definition | Name a compatible RF plane, waveform, bandwidth and power convention. | Portfolio plane/population/evidence convention and local review rule; no physical or legal authentication. |
| RQ-04 population-condition | Name the population and statistic; estimates need sample and method context. | Portfolio plane/population/evidence convention and local review rule; no physical or legal authentication. |
| RQ-05 vague-language | Inspect the matched word; the lexicon is advisory and cannot interpret intent. | NASA Appendix C checklist informs the question; exact fields, lexicon and diagnostics are local, not normative. |
| RQ-06 trace-orphan | Attach the actual source or parent ID and repair dependent links. | NASA Appendix C checklist informs the question; exact fields, lexicon and diagnostics are local, not normative. |
| RQ-07 trace-cycle | Remove the circular dependency; evidence cannot justify itself. | Local derivation: dimensions, closed-interval intersection, deterministic graph traversal, source-ID accounting. |
| RQ-08 comparable-contradiction | Reconcile the empty same-condition interval with the responsible owners. | Local derivation: dimensions, closed-interval intersection, deterministic graph traversal, source-ID accounting. |
| RQ-09 duplicated-margin | Charge a source/allocation only once to a named budget path. | Local derivation: dimensions, closed-interval intersection, deterministic graph traversal, source-ID accounting. |
| RQ-10 unsupported-evidence | Request condition-matched evidence; computation is not verified hardware. | Portfolio plane/population/evidence convention and local review rule; no physical or legal authentication. |
| RQ-11 unresolved-assumption | Keep the unknown visible and assign its first discriminating closure action. | NASA Appendix C checklist informs the question; exact fields, lexicon and diagnostics are local, not normative. |
For your synthesis, rewrite all eight statements in your own words, attach parent/child links, retain unresolved assumptions, identify conflicts, and name the first discriminating evidence request. State the verification class and why it fits; leave detailed instrument procedures to Path 08. More than one rewrite can be defensible. Do not reward a filled blank if the number has no source.
Check your understanding
Answer each question in your own words, then reveal the model answer.
01Rewrite NEED-01: “Reach 100 m.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerInvestigate service at 100 m for the node/gateway. Geometry, environment, installation, antenna configuration, payload, latency, interference and reliability population are TBD. Product owns the use-case acceptance; antenna/channel engineering owns Path 06 evidence. Service range stays open. Open: TBD geometry/environment/installation/antennas; TBD payload/latency; TBD interference and reliability population; Path 06 channel evidence missing. Owner: Product + antenna/channel. Next: Survey installation geometry and traffic; agree reliability population, then request Path 06 channel evidence.
02Rewrite NEED-02: “Last two years.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerInvestigate two years between battery maintenance for the declared traffic and operating environment, both TBD. Power systems shall establish usable energy, temperature/aging, sleep/startup/TX/RX durations, retries, regulator efficiency and cutoff. A current allocation alone cannot close lifetime. Open: TBD calendar/lifetime convention; usable battery energy, temperature/aging, traffic/retries, current distributions, regulator/cutoff. Owner: Power systems. Next: Agree calendar and maintenance definition; obtain usable battery energy and per-mode current/duty/retry data for 05.5.
03Rewrite NEED-03: “Reliable near Wi-Fi.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerDuring a declared coexistence scenario, assess wanted telemetry quality against a criterion TBD, with coupled blocker level, spectrum, duty and entry plane established by RF coexistence. Wi-Fi is a threat description; distance alone does not supply the input power or susceptibility. Open: TBD wanted quality criterion, blocker coupled level/spectrum/duty, configuration, population and sample method. Owner: RF coexistence. Next: Characterize coupled blocker power, spectrum and duty at R2; agree wanted-quality criterion with product for 05.4.
04Rewrite NEED-04: “Send 20 kbit/s.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerSeparate the 20.0 kbit/s uncoded/no-overhead active mapping exercise from required application throughput at D0, which is TBD. Baseband owns framing/coding/mapping and product owns payload/latency and the traffic schedule. Name active-burst versus long-term rate before accepting a limit. Open: TBD D0 throughput, framing/coding, retry and latency policy, long-term schedule and population. Owner: Product + baseband. Next: Agree D0 payload rate and latency over a named observation interval; account for D1 framing/coding, retries and idle time.
05Rewrite NEED-05: “Transmit +10 dBm.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerInvestigate nominal +10 dBm transmit behavior. RF systems shall resolve R1 versus R2, forward/accepted/radiated power, matched load, burst-average/peak convention, tolerance, frequency, mode and temperature before a requirement is baselined. The separate REQ-TX-01 exercise supplies its own illustrative interval. Open: TBD tolerance, plane transform, forward/accepted/radiated definition, waveform, frequency/mode/temperature and procedure. Owner: RF systems. Next: Agree R1/R2 power definition, waveform, tolerance and operating conditions; request validation setup and uncertainty procedure.
06Rewrite NEED-06: “Sensitivity is −115 dBm.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerInvestigate the −115 dBm receiver-input claim at R2 under waveform, noise bandwidth, SNR/BER/PER criterion, source temperature and gain-state conditions, all TBD. Receiver systems owns the allocation; validation owns the evidence method. The scalar alone establishes neither a pass nor a range. Open: TBD waveform, receiver ENBW, SNR/BER/PER criterion, source temperature, gain state, population and test conditions. Owner: Receiver systems. Next: Agree R2 waveform, ENBW, output criterion, source temperature, gain state and test procedure for 05.3.
07Rewrite NEED-07: “Use a cheap gateway.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerEstablish a gateway cost boundary before choosing architecture. Product and sourcing own currency, base date, quantity, BOM scope, assembly/test/NRE inclusion and acceptable power/schedule trades, all TBD. No market quotation or cost threshold is supplied by this exercise. Open: TBD currency/base date, order quantity, BOM boundary, assembly/test/NRE and power/schedule trade. Owner: Product + sourcing. Next: Define currency/base date, quantity and BOM boundary including assembly/test/NRE; obtain a dated quotation and trade power/schedule.
08Rewrite NEED-08: “Sell globally.” without inventing a requirement.
Model answerTreat global sales as an open market/configuration question. Product shall name intended markets, configurations and technologies; Paths 07/09 own authority and technology applicability review. No country, authorization, limit or legal obligation is inferred from this phrase. Open: TBD intended markets/configurations/technologies and authority questions; Paths 07/09 review required. Owner: Product + Paths 07/09. Next: List intended markets and product configurations, then assign technology/authority questions to Paths 07/09.
09Classify a +9 to +11 dBm obligation, 114.155251 µA charge budget, 2000 mAh usable capacity, nominal +10 dBm aim and simulated +8 dBm.
Model answerRespectively: illustrative requirement, derived allocation, illustrative assumption, target and simulated result. All need sources and owners; only the first states the supplied acceptance interval. None is a measured result.
10Calculate the two signed margins and explain what happens if one prediction moves from R2 to R1.
Model answerMaximum: 10−8=+2 dB. Minimum: −112−(−115)=+3 dB. These gaps compare the same quantity under matching conditions. Moving a prediction to R1 invalidates direct comparison until the R1→R2 transformation is supplied.
11Diagnose the throughput and contradiction fixtures.
Model answer256 QPSK symbols carry 512 mapped bits in 25.6 ms. One such burst per second gives 512 bit/s long-term mapped throughput; 20 kbit/s is the active rate and D0 payload throughput remains unresolved. Same-condition P≥12 and P≤10 dBm have no feasible interval. Different modes stop automatic comparison; 10 mW and +10 dBm touch at one feasible boundary.
12Trace three claims to allocations and first evidence requests.
Model answerNEED-01 → ALLOC-RX/TX/CHANNEL → 05.2/05.3/05.5 and Path 06 waveform, port-power and installed channel evidence, owned by receiver/transmitter/channel engineers. NEED-02 → ALLOC-ENERGY → 05.5 mode/duty and usable battery evidence, owned by power systems. NEED-03 → ALLOC-BLOCKER → 05.4 coupled R2 threat and wanted-quality evidence, owned by RF coexistence. Every child points back to its parent.
Sources and further study
Access checked 6 September 2026. The rule engine, eight rewrites, scenario IDs and thresholds are local Illustrative/Derived teaching material. No normative obligation is imposed on the fictional product. Full paywalled handbook/book chapters were not accessed.
- NASA Systems Engineering Handbook, Appendix, NASA/SP-2016-6105 Rev. 2 web edition: Appendix B verification/validation terminology, C.1–C.4 requirement checklist, D verification matrix. Consulted as informative review guidance. Exact RQ rules and bounded lexicon are local adaptations; technical approval remains human.
- NASA SEH §4.0 System Design Processes, especially §4.1.1.2.5–.10 and §4.2: scenario, stakeholder expectation and traceability context. The small local workbook deliberately leaves lifecycle execution to Path 10.
- INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, fifth edition, 2023: current official handbook overview and edition announcement consulted for edition/status and general scope only. Detailed paywalled clauses are further study, not claimed rule provenance.
- W. F. Egan, Practical RF System Design, Wiley–IEEE, 2003, Chapter 5 “Noise and Nonlinearity,” DOI 10.1002/0471654094.ch5: public publisher summary consulted for joint RF allocation context; no unseen chapter equations adopted.
- NIST Technical Note 1297 (1994), §5 Combined Standard Uncertainty: covariance and uncertainty-combination conditions. Measurement procedures and detailed uncertainty construction belong to Path 08.
- Local derivations A1–A4: QPSK mapped-bit counting and time populations; usable-charge/time allocation; comparator-directed margin; positive dBm/mW conversion and closed-interval intersection. Full-precision inputs are stored; only display is rounded. Portfolio conventions v1.0, 5 September 2026, supply reference planes and the normal waveform.