Data mining technology for failure prognostic of avionics

Adverse environmental conditions have combined cumulative effects leading to performance degradation and failures of avionics. Classical reliability addresses statistically-generic devices and is less suitable for the situations when failures are not traced to manufacturing but rather to unique operational conditions of particular hardware units. An approach aimed at the accurate assessment of the probability of failure of any avionics unit utilizing the known history-of-abuse from environmental and operational factors is presented herein. The suggested prognostic model utilizes information downloaded from dedicated monitoring systems of flight-critical hardware and stored in a database. Such a database can be established from the laboratory testing of hardware and supplemented with real operational data. This approach results in a novel knowledge discovery from data technology that can be efficiently used in a wide area of applications and provide a quantitative basis for the modern maintenance concept known as service-when-needed. An illustrative numerical example is provided     

Open systems avionics network to replace MIL-STD-1553

This paper is a proposal for a future method of avionics data communication. The need for this proposal results from the shortcomings in the current avionics architecture, video distribution network, and in the MIL-STD-1553 data communication system. The separately wired video and data communication systems can be combined to save weight, which is especially critical for rotorcraft. Aircraft, once fielded, have limited capacity for modification and improvement due to fixed computer throughput and processing performance, network bandwidth, and space available in the avionics equipment bays. The changes proposed by this paper are to be made in conjunction with the replacement of the redundant computer boxes with open system avionics functions on industry standard circuit cards. This open architecture approach was developed over the last ten years and is now being implemented in many aircraft applications including the F-22 and the RAH-66 programs. The V-22 rotorcraft, which although just entering production, is being modified for joint service customers where modern computer performance and expanded data network bandwidth is needed. The changes of this proposal will fill this need, reduce the weight of upcoming production models, and provide growth or spare capability so that additional video and data components can be added with minimal effect on existing components. This paper examines the current V-22 avionics video and data communication hardware and wiring and propose a new implementation of open system architecture standards with integrated digital video and data communication based on ANSI standard copper fibre channel     

Aircraft health management network: A user interface

Network management is one of the most discussed topics in the networking fraternity. The efficiency of the network management suit is measured by the number of parameters/components handled by the application while making decisions. In the case of internet-enabled aircrafts, along with network security, even aircraft safety needs to be considered as a factor while designing the Network Management suit. This requires the Network Management suit to monitor/analyze the aircraft-related data (avionics data, physical security parameters, etc.) while determining the proper functioning of the overall system. Herein, these authors present a framework for Network Management suit that, along with network health, monitors inputs from avionics, video surveillance system, weather monitoring system, and manual pilot alarms, and based on the situation, reconfigures the on-board networking devices to stream appropriate flight-critical data to the ground station. The proposed framework attempts to provide a comprehensive user interface for the flight health monitoring crew with all relevant data.     

Flight-critical distributed systems: design considerations [avionics]

With the proliferation of so-called "smart" components and the availability of small, low-cost, and high-speed data networks, avionics that have traditionally been centralized are becoming distributed. A distributed approach offers many potential benefits, such as reduced development time and cost, simplified system installation, increased flexibility for system expansion or modifications, and greater reuse of proven components. The distributed approach can also reduce the risk associated with design errors by splitting complex hardware and software into more manageable components. However, distributed systems also introduce new challenges in meeting real-time deadlines and providing fault tolerance. This paper examines the many design considerations and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each. Emerging automotive drive-by-wire alternatives are compared for application to aerospace systems. This paper is based on a Draper Laboratory-sponsored effort to look at flight-critical distributed systems and to evaluate emerging hardware and software for building them.     

静压源误差修正及其在大气数据计算机的应用

 静压源误差直接影响飞机战术性能的发挥,是飞机设计、大气数据计算机研制及飞行试验面临的重要课题之一。本文从工程实践角度出发,分析静压源误差及其影响因素,以及静压源误差的修正。     

大气数据计算机自动测试系统研究

大气数据机作为重要的航空电子设备，测量大气数据的精度关系到飞行控制的性能和飞行安全。介绍了大气数据计算机测试系统的软硬件结构，对大气数据机的各参量和测试信号进行误差分析．采用误差修正的方法消除电压测试信号的误差，有效地提高系统检测精度，为测试大气数据计算机性能提供科学依据。     

嵌入式实时操作系统中的安全性考虑

在综合化航空电子系统中,嵌入式实时操作系统已被广泛采用,而操作系统保证应用软件的安全性,则是目前要解决的首要问题。对照国内外在高安全性、强实时系统上的先进技术和先进经验,本文着重讨论了嵌入式实时操作系统中解决数据安全性的几点考虑,主要集中介绍了软件的分层防御体系、分区管理和信息安全管理技术、分区间通讯的“虚通道”技术等,以确保综合化航电系统的信息及数据安全的机密性和完整性,达到主动防御的能力。     

基于分区代理机制的FC通信虚拟化方案设计

随着航电系统的发展,处理平台的集成度逐步提高,多核处理器集成多个应用将是未来应用的趋势。 但在使用多核处理器的系统中,由于多个处理器核并行运行,需要解决通信资源在多个处理器核之间的共享问 题。本文提出了一种基于分区代理机制的FC 通信虚拟化方案设计,可以实现多核架构下多应用、多分区共享 FC 网络接口设备进行通信。     

存储系统中两级纠错编码方案设计与验证

针对恶劣空间环境设计了一种两级存储编码方案，以应对航天系统中存储单元发生多个单粒子翻转（SEU）错误的问题。方案设计的主要思想是根据简单低纠错编码组合出高容错编码，通过编码组合，使用字间编码来纠正字内编码无法纠正的错误，从而使存储系统更加可靠；对两级编码方案提出若干优化策略，以提高编解码性能，使得两级冗余编码效率接近于原始字内编码。实验结果表明，提出的两级冗余编码方案能够较好解决存储系统中发生多个单粒子翻转错误的问题。即与单一的字内编码相比，两级纠错编码方案能够大大降低星上存储系统出现不可修复的概率，保证了星上存储系统的可靠运行。     

基于1394网络的分布式组合导航系统时序建模与仿真

总线拓扑完整是基于 1394 总线网络的分布式组合导航系统正常、可靠工作的必然要求,为了确保各传感器节点信息的可靠传输,必须在系统工作前进行总线完整性检查,以排除节点或线缆故障可能对系统造成的不利影响。导航计算机在执行总线完整性检查程序时,总线控制器的时钟源将发生切换,这会带来一定的时序问题。针对分布式组合导航系统在某次 1394b 总线完整性检查过程中出现的虚警故障,通过理论分析和建模仿真,对故障时刻的系统运行时序和虚警原因进行探究。结果表明:在进行总线完整性检查时,组合导航计算机与总线控制器时钟异步导致组合导航计算机软件相邻两周期读取 DPRAM 中同一片缓存是系统报出虚警的根本原因。     

机载嵌入式软件的系统测试

针对航空电子系统的功能特点,分析了某航电分系统控制管理计算机软件的特征和要求,结合机载嵌入式软件的系统测试需求,提出利用航电分系统设计开发试验平台,通过总线上的故障注入和数据采集方法,实现机载嵌入式软件的系统测试。     

分区间通信在航空电子系统中的设计与实现

新一代航空电子系统是一种高度综合化、模块化的系统,为了确保系统工作的安全、可靠,必须有高安全性的实时操作系统支持。在高安全性的实时操作系统中提出了分区(Partition)的概念,原有的“子系统”概念已由硬件实体演变为软的“子系统”。分区是运行于一个处理机模块上的多个应用程序(或子系统),这些应用程序在时间和空间上彼此隔离,互不影响,当一个分区内的应用发生错误时,在时间和空间上都不会影响到别的分区的执行。为了适应分区间隔离的需要,应用程序之间的通信由传统的进程间通信方式变为分区间的通信方式,本文着重介绍了自主版权操作系统(ACoreOS653)中满足ARINC653要求的分区间通信的设计与实现方法。     

机载供电系统双余度控制器的容错控制

介绍双发（Twin-engines）系统的战斗机的机载供电系统控制器的设计和实现。机载供电系统控制器是管理飞机的供电系统的航空电子设备,是飞机供电系统的核心设备,肩负飞机安全的使命。为了提高控制器的可靠性和灵活性,放弃传统的模拟方法,使用先进的数字化技术实现对飞机供电、配电系统的管理。在设计中为了提高可靠性,使用主动复制的容错技术,设计了双余度控制器,在发生单通道错误的情况下,整个系统能够正确工作。对机载供电系统控制器容错技术进行了研究,包括双余度系统的管理策略、同步控制机制、余度管理和故障综合、信号比较监控和通道切换逻辑。     

航空电子系统综合核心处理器仿真软件设计

在未来的航空电子体系结构中，综合核心处理器（Integrated Core Processor，ICP）将成为整个航空电子系统的核心。本文首先对ICP进行了理论分析，提出了ICP建模的重点，然后采用面向对象、模块化的方法进行了ICP仿真软件的设计，建立了ICP仿真系统模型。软件的仿真核心基于离散事件仿真方法，采用双层任务调度算法，并结合航空电子系统分区管理的特点，模拟ICP系统对任务的处理过程。最后进行了实例仿真，对仿真结果进行分析，验证了模型的正确性。     

Replacement strategy for aging avionics computers

With decreasing defense dollars available to purchase new military aircraft, the inventory of existing aircraft will have to last many more years than originally anticipated. As the avionics computers on these aging aircraft get older, they become more expensive to maintain due to parts obsolescence. In addition, expanding missions and changing requirements lead to growth in the embedded software which, in turn, requires additional processing and memory capacity. Both factors, parts obsolescence and new processing capacity, result in the need to replace the old computer hardware with newer, more capable microprocessor technology. New microprocessors, however, are not compatible with the older computer instruction set architectures. This generally requires the embedded software in these computers to be rewritten. A significant savings-estimated in the billions of dollars-could be achieved in these upgrades if the new computers could execute the old embedded code along with any new code to be added. This paper describes a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)-based form, fit, function, and interface (F³I) replacement strategy for legacy avionics computers that can reuse existing avionics code “as is” while providing a flexible framework for incremental upgrades and managed change. It is based on a real-time embedded software technology that executes legacy binary code on the latest generation COTS microprocessors. This technology promises performance improvements of 5-10 times that of the legacy avionics computer that it replaces. It also promises a 4× decrease in cost and schedule over rewriting the code and provides a “known good” starting point for incremental upgrades of the embedded flight software. Code revalidation cost and risk are minimized since the structure of the embedded code is not changed, allowing the replacement computer to be retested at the “blackbox” level using existing qualification tests     

Next generation space avionics: layered system implementation

Advances in electronics over the past decade have produced major improvements in the power and flexibility of computer systems. Unfortunately current avionics systems for space applications typically have not leveraged these COTS advantages. A decade ago, the state-of-the-art for avionics systems made a step change to the Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) used in the Boeing 777. This next generation avionics architecture is not based upon traditional Byzantine redundancy structures, but on a truth-based scheme where each element knows when an internal failure occurs and removes itself from the system. IMA utilizes a lock-step microprocessor design that communicates to a COTS Backplane for input/output, and to a Virtual Backplane/spl trade/ (a reliable high-speed serial bus) for intra-system communication. The system functions are implemented using a time and space partitioned operating system. The entire system provides the simplicity of a simplex system, implements the highest level of reliability providing complete flexibility to reconfigure both software applications and hardware interfaces, allows for rapid prototyping using low-cost COTS hardware, and is easily expandable beyond the initial point implementation. As the only 5/sup th/ generation avionics architecture, the concepts incorporated into Honeywell's IMA are ideally suited to be the backbone of the next generation Space Exploration Program avionics architectures.     

The cockpit control language: a pilot-centered avionics interface

As automation becomes more sophisticated and complex, there is increasing concern about the time and cost of training pilots to use it, and the possibility of pilot errors. In this sense, the evolution of avionics systems is emulating the evolution of personal computers in the 1980s. In the early days of personal computing, users had to learn some basic computer science concepts and an obscure command language with only passing resemblance to natural language. Because the command language was highly codified and condensed, the user had to commit apparently arbitrary syntax rules to memory, and if the user made an error, such as reversing the source and destination drives in the “copy” command, the results could be catastrophic (in this case, erasing the file that was intended to be saved and saving the one that was intended to be erased).The personal computer industry responded to the widespread perception that computers were difficult to use by developing graphic user interfaces. Today, most users can perform rudimentary operations on a personal computer with little or no training or reference to the manual. It is possible that the same type of advance could be achieved with avionics systems, so that almost any trained pilot could operate a new piece of avionics with little or no training in its specific operation.     

分布式航空电子软件测试系统

为了支持研制和开发高性能的分布式航空电子软件系统,软件测试系统是必备的工具之一。本文介绍了一个分布式航空电子软件测试系统。该系统采用数字仿真技术提供数据环境,由监控处理机完成测试结果的自动记录、保存和分析工作。整个系统采用标准化设计法,具有良好的可维修性和可扩充性。此外,简单有效的辅助手段,为用户提供了一个良好的应用环境。     

基于试飞数据的航空发动机状态监测与故障诊断

在航空发动机飞行试验阶段,发动机技术状态变化快、故障频发,为了实时监控发动机工作参数变化情况,快速及时地预测并诊断发动机故障,本文研究了试飞数据驱动的航空发动机状态监控与故障诊断技术。文章基于实际试飞数据建立了航空发动机ANN-NARX参数预测模型,考虑到建模样本量大、模型结构复杂、训练时间长、输入输出延迟等因素,采用遗传算法对模型的最小数据样本需求和结构进行了改进优化,并利用蒙特卡洛方法确立了参数预测模型的自适应告警门限,同时基于构建奇偶空间残差模型实现了航空发动机典型故障诊断。结果表明：实际试飞中只需有限架次试飞数据的训练学习,即可得到发动机参数预测模型,高压转子转速、压气机后压力、涡轮后总温及滑油总回油温度预测相对误差最大值分别为：1.0%、1.7%、0.2%和1.2%,综合模型建模误差和参数测量误差后的自适应告警门限有效降低了模型预测结果的不确定性,在已有数据样本集上的典型故障识别率达到95.2%。     

基于CRC校验的航电网络传输通道安全性分析

完整性概率是民用飞机与系统安全性的评价指标之一。循环冗余校验(CRC)是航空电子系统通信网络中广泛应用的完整性设计措施。针对缺乏CRC校验定量安全性分析的现状,基于标准CRC校验的性能,研究了业务数据在航空电子系统通信网络传输过程中出现错误且被CRC漏检的概率。结合案例分析了CRC校验对航电网络传输通道完整性需求的影响。分析结果表明通过在应用层采取CRC校验等设计措施,并确保业务数据在网络传输过程中发生错误且被CRC漏检的概率满足顶层分配的完整性需求,则网络传输通道或链路层可无需考虑针对特定业务数据的完整性需求,进而缓解对网络传输通道的安全性需求。分析思路为航电网络CRC校验设计及安全性分析提供参考。