Open System Avionics Architectures

Over the last three years, Open System Avionics Architecture concepts have been addressed by the avionics community as a method for increasing affordability. The Naval Air Systems Command (Nav Air) led Advanced Avionics Architecture and Technology Review team of 1992, followed by the multiservice Avionics Engineering SubBoard (AESB) implementation phase team are two examples. The Perry memo and formation of the Open Systems Joint Task Force (OS-JTF) are further evidence of the importance placed on open systems at the DoD level. This paper summarizes these activities and their importance. Examples of the savings that can be expected by application of open systems are presented. Finally, significant on-going work along with critical technologies and concepts that need to be matured to make open systems successful are discussed     

Open systems-a process for achieving affordability [in avionicssystems]

A major factor that will drive the definition and design of future avionics systems is affordability. Affordability is being addressed on numerous fronts such as hardware re-use, software re-use, COTS leveraging, and reduced cycle times. Each of these thrusts provide potential cost savings along with unique challenges. What is needed is a process that integrates these initiatives while ensuring the overall system objectives are achieved. An Open Systems-based process is key to integrating these initiatives and balancing affordability and system performance goals. Although Open Systems are being widely recognized as a key to affordability, most interpret Open Systems as a set of system attributes that need to be achieved. There are numerous claims of vendors saying they have an Open Systems architecture or how their system will evolve to an Open Systems architecture. This emphasis is not on increasing affordability but on attaching a politically correct label to their product. In this paper, we focus on the Open Systems process as the key to affordability. An Open Systems process is based on Open Systems principles. This paper discusses the Open Systems principles and process in detail and shows how this process integrates numerous affordability initiatives     

Open Systems: a process for achieving affordability

A major factor that will drive the definition and design of future avionics systems is affordability. Affordability is being addressed on numerous fronts such as hardware re-use, software re-use, COTS leveraging, and reduced cycle times. Each of these thrusts provide potential cost saving along with unique challenges. What is needed is a process that integrates these initiatives while ensuring the overall system objectives are achieved. An Open Systems-based process is key to integrating these initiatives and balancing affordability and system performance goals. Although Open Systems are being widely recognized as a key to affordability, most interpret Open Systems as a set of system attributes that need to be achieved. There are numerous claims of vendors saying they have an Open Systems architecture; or how their system will evolve to an Open Systems architecture. This emphasis is not on increasing affordability, but on attaching a politically-correct label to their product. In this paper, we focus on the Open Systems process as the key to affordability. An Open Systems process is based on Open Systems principles. This paper discusses the Open Systems principles and process in detail and shows how this process integrates numerous affordability initiatives     

综合传感器系统--向纵深发展的航空电子综合技术

文章从传感器的重要性及"经济上可承受性"引出了"综合传感器系统(ISS)概念"并对其定义、实现方法和验证结果及目前存在问题进行了分析.特别是对孔径综合、射频综合和ISS管理做了图示说明.指出传感器综合技术是本世纪初航空电子的关键技术,对未来作战飞机有致关重要的影响,并就我国开展这项关键技术研究提出了有益建议.     

飞机综合航电系统总体设计综合评估方法

 航空电子系统的费用 效能是飞机总体系统效能的重要组成部分，也是降低飞机寿命周期费用的关键之一。在航空电子系统的总体设计阶段，传统的系统评估和优化方法主要针对的是独立子系统/设备的费用或效能指标。综合航电系统设计方案的费用 效能重要指标包括：可支付性、构型能力、任务能力、可靠性、维修性、测试性和技术风险，以组合的方式获得了相应的综合评估准则，给出了计算公式。以某新研航电系统作为实例演示了综合评估方法的实施情况，演示的重点集中于总体设计方案的可视化量化评估分析。该综合评估方法已显示出其在实际工程设计中的可行性和应用价值。     

Aging avionics: the problems and the challenges

Aging avionics have become a problem because aircraft are being kept in service far longer than the original plan. This paper discusses the four key problems of aging avionics: (1) determining the systems that are the high cost drivers in order to select those that should receive priority; (2) determining the requirements for the replacement; (3) identifying alternative technologies that will satisfy the requirements and are affordable; and (4) determining the funding required and acquiring the funding needed to replace the aging avionics. Challenges encountered in solving these problems include management and technical. The problem of aging avionics is not limited to a single aircraft, but occurs across all aircraft. Cost-effective modernization requires cutting horizontally across all aging aircraft, and coordination with the end users and the existing management structure. A key technical challenge is to select an architecture that is upgradeable since the funding limitations may ensure parts will become obsolete prior to the completion of a drawn-out production.     

Digital Electronics Where We are and Where We are Going

The paper synopsizes the current situation with regard to the nature of the red as well as the blue-grey forces as their capabilities impact future avionics systems. The paper describes today's climate as it relates to the avionics posture of the current and future fighter air forces, congressional desires and budgetary direction. The paper describes the current US Air Force response in the terms of modular systems. The benefits of modular avionics systems are delineated and the impact of software on this new hardware approach are explained. The way to the future is postulated in terms of the threat versus force posturing and the impact on both today's and future weapons systems. The paper concludes with several recommendations which, while they will somewhat alter traditional industrial relationships, will also address the future avionics needs of the US Armed Force.     

General aviation aircraft avionics: integration & system tests

The avionics of current-day aircraft is termed as modular integrated full glass cockpit. Unlike lots of dials and gauges, the pilot will interact with Multi-Function Displays (MYD). This means that the systems are coupled with multi-function displays, communication and navigation radios with control units, multi-mode interactive instruments for control and navigation, recording and fault management systems, airframes and health monitoring diagnostic capabilities. Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) is an important measure of good avionics and cockpit layout, which implies the optimization of man-machine interface, enhancement of the economy, and safety of flight operations. This presents the avionics architecture of a 14-seat Light Transport Aircraft (LTA) for general aviation, which has multi-role commuter capabilities. LTA is a twin turbo-prop, multi-role aircraft, with air taxi and commuter services as its primary roles. The avionics is built on the digital communication mode for both command and control with current requirements of TCAS, digital Autopilot, and AMLCD multi-purpose glass displays. The LTA Avionics suite is grouped into six major groups based on functionality: Display System, Communication System, Navigation System, Recording System, Radar System, and Engine instruments and other cockpit displays. This paper also covers details about the extensive tests carried out to prove the avionics design in terms of functionality, inter-operability, interference, and compatibility. Various practical integration and flight-test issues, methodologies, and details of the scenarios is presented herein.     

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     

1553 emulation over ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)-a hybridavionics communications architecture

The issue of meeting the higher communications requirements of future aircraft avionics systems in an incremental manner is addressed. A communications architecture is proposed which is based upon a switched network technology from the telecommunications area asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). However, the major step of migrating all existing avionics equipment into an ATM compliant form is avoided by the process of “emulating” a current avionics data bus such as MIL-STD-1553B over an ATM network. This allows current 1553 subsystems to co-exist with ATM compliant equipment on a single physical ATM network     

Firewire in modern integrated military avionics

High performance communications, navigation, and identification (CNI) functions on modern military aircraft are increasingly required for mission readiness. The operation of simultaneous waveforms through an integrated avionics rack of shared resources becomes a test in moving data rapidly from one signal processing stage to the next. The IEEE 1394, or Firewire, is a commercial high bandwidth bus whose 64-bit addressing and maximum 400 Mbits/second throughput satisfies this demanding military avionics interconnect need. The challenge in applying this commercial product to integrated avionics is the requirement to seamlessly add message priority encoding. By having message priorities, the slower strategic communications links will not impair the performance of higher data rate tactical communications, thereby avoiding potentially life-threatening bottlenecks. The flight environment imposes additional challenges to ruggedize the cabling between integrated avionics racks and to utilize the full capabilities of the Firewire bus. A discussion of the physical, data link, network, and transport layers, as used in avionics applications will be done. Additionally, the versatility of 1394 in military avionics with its variable channel sizes, bandwidth on demand, hierarchical addressing, and upgrade to 800 and 1600 Mbps with a 64-bit wide data path, is emphasized. Finally, system maintenance advantages of 1394's hot pluggable features are discussed, with an eye toward cost reduction on the flight line and total operational time of the aircraft avionics systems     

The Flight 2000 avionics suite: paving the way to free flight

The FAA's Flight 2000 project is an innovative initiative to implement and validate selected operational improvements leading to Free Flight. It integrates new avionics, new ground systems, new procedures, avionics certification, and operational approval. Approximately 2000 aircraft operating in Alaska, Hawaii, and Oceanic airspace will be equipped with new capabilities enabling benefits such as improved situational awareness, increased flexibility, and efficiency gains. By developing and fielding these operational improvements, the actual benefits of new procedures and capabilities will be validated and risks associated with national implementation will be reduced     

航空电子系统地面试验中测试系统的综合化、通用化设计

测试系统作为航空电子系统地面试验中的重要设备,为系统试验提供了自动化、数字化的科学手段和结果分析依据。以往的测试系统都是根据具体型号研制的设备,存在着利用率相对低、资源重复、资金浪费严重的情况。根据航空电子系统的构型和现有的技术条件,飞机航空电子系统综合验证试验研制通用的综合测试系统已成为必然。本文介绍了航空电子系统地面试验中测试系统的综合化、通用化设计方法。     

Managing change through roadmapping [changes in aviation electronics]

Presently the USAF is operating with 90 different Model Design Series (MDS) aircraft. The 90 MDS aircraft make up a total of 5778 airframes, each with a different number of Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) which make up the avionics systems. Some of the MDSs have as few as 53 avionics LRUs while others as many as 495. The total dollar value of the USAF aircraft avionics LRUs is approximately $42.4B and $30.68B in spares. Depot repairable cost to maintain these components each year is approximately $1.2B. Each MDS is assigned specific missions and the avionics systems are developed to support those missions. Due to the evolution of mission types and user needs, change is constant for the avionics manager.     

Avionics cost of ownership

The cost of ownership of avionics includes not only the development and acquisition cost, but also the yearly operating and support (O and S) (maintenance) cost of hardware, software, and support equipment. This paper presents an avionics cost of ownership methodology developed for USAF, its data sources, and business metrics computed for USAF decision makers as we move toward operating avionics as a business. The business model is used to determine which existing avionics are candidates for replacement with new technology and to prioritize the replacements. These avionics are often used on multiple aircraft types which necessitates analysis of the causes of the high cost of ownership on each type. Databases are used to document the processing functions, data flow, and constraints of the item being analyzed. These constraints include physical, environmental, electrical, and data interfaces. Databases containing alternatives are evaluated against standard mission scenarios for aircraft utilizing these high cost avionics to determine their impact on performance, O and S costs, and mission effectiveness. The results of the foregoing analyses steps are then used in life cycle cost analyses which consider different retrofit scenarios for each alternative for each aircraft type against the avionics being analyzed for replacement. The alternatives are prioritized and a risk analysis performed considering technical, schedule, and cost growth risks. The avionics cost of ownership methodology described in this paper processes data from USAF maintenance organizations. This has revealed the very large expenditures being made to support highly unreliable avionics. These methods can be applied to all military and commercial aircraft systems to determine not only the cost of ownership of existing systems, but also the cost of ownership of new systems when they are retrofit     

Achieving Nextgen's air traffic management operational improvements

A significant amount of attention has been paid to the functional and ground components in the evolution of the NAS to achieve the Next Generation System (NextGen) but there has been less attention paid to the aircraft equipage side of the equation. This is now changing with the recent establishment of an aircraft working group within the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO). The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) has been working over the past year to provide input to the FAA and JPDO which will help inform the avionics evolution and provide more insight into the aircraft equipage considerations for evolving to NextGen.     

Digital Avionics?The Best is yet to Come!!!

This paper reviews some of the history and background of digital avionics and offers some tantalizing possibilities for the future. There are payoffs in many areas from digital avionics; however, the ultimate benefits are increased mission effectiveness and lower costs. Two major U. S. Air Force avionics programs designed to increase mission effectiveness are reviewed. Major barriers to the expanded use of digital avionics in civil transports as a means to lower operating costs are examined. The paper also examines lightning effects, architectures, optical components, displays, and voice interactive control which are current research areas that promise to yield significant advances for digital avionics systems. Finally, in a notice of optimism, it is concluded that the best is yet to come. As good as contemporary avionics are, we have only begun to visualize their ultimate potential.     

Designing to MIL-STD-2165: Testability

The V-22 avionic hardware is the first to be designed under MIL-STD-2165 testability program requirements. This paper presents an overview of the avionics design-for-testability approach and lessons learned to date relative to the application of MIL-STD-2165. The paper will discuss incorporation of testability requirements up front in the avionics design which will drive the supportability philosophy at both the Organizational and Depot levels of maintenance. The paper will compare previous avionics hardware testability requirements versus those applied to the V-22 avionics and highlight areas of improvement. A discussion of testability design impacts on reduced level of testing (i.e. WRA/SRA/System) will be included. In addition, the paper discusses an innovative approach to meeting the user requirements for a man-portable forward deployed maintenance capability that forms the basis for a two level support scenario (Organizational and Depot). The innovation comes from the fact that the on-board Central Integrated Checkout system will provide data as well as fault isolation and will use this data as a mechanism to reduce the size and complexity of the stimulus and measurement hardware at either the Organizational or Depot level depending on the deployment requirements.     

综合模块化航空电子核心系统技术研究

介绍了一种综合模块化航空电子核心系统.在系统应用需求及技术特征的分析基础上,提出了一种通用的开放式体系结构模型,并对系统的关键技术进行深入研究探讨,包括系统管理、网络通信、时间同步、容错策略等,最后给出系统设计方案的建议.系统具有可重构性、可重用性、可扩展性和健壮性,可满足先进飞机航空电子系统的应用要求,并为未来新型分布式综合模块化航空电子系统的研究与设计提供技术支持.     

飞机接口组件仿真器设计

飞机接口组件仿真器主要完成对飞机航电系统中的非1553B总线信号设备的仿真。按要求产生相应的离散量信号、模拟量信号、同步机信号等非1553B总线信号传给总线控制/信号转换器(BC/IFU)。是飞机航电系统仿真试验室进行全系统仿真关键设备。