Automated avionics testing

A method for remotely determining avionics status, the method comprising:

• illuminating the avionics with intentional radio frequency (RF) energy from transmitter circuitry that outputs configured electromagnetic energy to produce forced non-linear emissions that radiate from the target device as an RF energy response;
• receiving the RF energy response using receiver circuitry;
• converting the RF energy response to a received RF energy representation;
• correlating the received RF energy representation with a plurality of baseline responses;
• and
• outputting the avionics status in response to the correlation of the received RF energy representation with the plurality of baseline responses.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by control circuitry of a software defined radio (SDR), the instructions cause the control circuitry to:

• illuminate avionics using transmitter circuitry that outputs intentional radio frequency (RF) energy to produce forced non-linear emissions that radiate from the avionics as an RF energy response;
• receive the RF energy response using receiver circuitry;
• convert the RF energy response to a received RF energy representation;
• access a database of baseline responses to correlate the received RF energy representation with the database of baseline responses;
• and
• determine a status of the avionics based on the correlation of the received RF energy representation and the database of baseline responses.