Airborne platform capability assessment

It is expected that the multimode weapons systems of the future will be highly fault tolerant, possessing the ability to perform tactical missions with both full or degraded functional capabilities. The fault-tolerant system characteristics will allow systems with less than the fully specified functional capabilities to be engaging in combat. This design feature will present the operators of these weapons system with the operational challenge of selecting and/or assigning weapons platforms with degraded capabilities to carry out tactical missions. An in-system assessment process is proposed to evaluate the operability for these weapons platforms on the basis of current functional status, the reliability of the hardware resources within the system's avionics, and the resources required by the various application modes to accomplish mission tasks     

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.     

Integrated Avionics: Watershed in Systems Development

For aeronautical weapon systems now entering development, avionics will equal or surpass airframe, propulsion, and weapons in establishing system effectiveness, both in terms of mission accomplishment and in terms of reliability, availability, supportability, and life cycle cost. Emerging technologies created the opportunity to satisfy demanding operational needs and to provide the means to upgrade systems against an evolving threat. This requires, however, basic changes in the skills, design methods, and constraints applied to avionics development. This paper highlights trends in avionics technology and systems and suggests some of the new ground rules which must be imposed to realize their full potential. Avionics considerations must be a central element of system development from the very outset, and the process of conceptual planning and program estimation must take the new realities of avionics into account.     

Tetrahedral Robotics for Space Exploration

A reconfigurable space filling robotic architecture has a wide range of possible applications. One of the more intriguing possibilities is mobility in very irregular and otherwise impassable terrain. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is developing the third generation of its addressable reconfigurable technology (ART) tetrahedral robotics architecture. An ART-based variable geometry truss consisting of 12 tetrahedral elements made from 26 smart struts on a wireless network has been developed. The primary goal of this development is the demonstration of a new kind of robotic mobility that can provide access and articulation that complement existing capabilities. An initial set of gaits and other behaviors are being tested, and accommodations for payloads such as sensor and telemetry packages are being studied. Herein, we describe our experience with the ART tetrahedral robotics architecture and the improvements implemented in the third generation of this technology. Applications of these robots to space exploration and the tradeoffs involved with this architecture will be discussed.     

The Impact of Integrated Electronics on Aerospace Avionic Subsystems

Integrated electronics or microelectronics is one of today's major technical frontiers. Possibilities offered to the designer of avionics subsystems, for aerospace vehicles, by these techniques, are almost limitless, from the point of view of performance capabilities as well as reliability and maintainability. Application will change current engineering practices in avionics design. Some changes will be easy; in others, problems will appear. This paper discusses these changes, indicating potential gains to be expected as well as potential problem areas. The rise in the application of integrated electronics is expected to be high for the next 10 to 15 years. By 1980, integrated circuitry will have largely replaced the use of discrete components, and the rate-of-increase-of-application curves will level off.     

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     

NH90航空电子系统演进

NH90是一种法、德、意、荷、葡联合研制的先进中型多用途直升机,未来将成为法、德、意等国的主力作战运输、突击、反潜、搜救机型。介绍了 NH90的航空电子系统,其中包括核心航空电子,任务航空电子及飞控系统。跟踪了 NH90航空电子软件开发团队使用软件产品线（SPL）技术对航空电子架构进一步升级的方向。     

Safe Flight 21: ground broadcast service system

The FAA-initiated Safe Flight 21 program is a cooperative government/industry effort to evaluate enhanced aerodome and aircraft capabilities based on evolving communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) technologies. Safe Flight 21 will demonstrate the in-cockpit display of traffic, weather, terrain, and obstacle information for pilots and will provide improved information to controllers. The Ground Broadcast Service (GBS) System will act as the main communication service between the Safe Flight 21 sensors and both the avionic and ground vehicle users. The data, collected and processed by multiple sensors, is routed to the GBS System for formatting, broadcast timing coordination, filtering, and transmission to the end-users. This paper provides an overview of the GBS System as part of the FAA Safe Flight 21 program. It also presents the GBS System's complete functional requirements as well as user interface formats and protocols necessary for compliance with the Safe Flight 21 Program architecture.     

飞机航空电子系统地面验证环境中的试验管理平台设计

航电系统的综合测试、验证和评估是与系统设计同等重要的系统研制工作。在地面对系统的功能和性能进行充分验证,可以大大缩短飞机试飞周期、减少试飞经费、加快飞机研制进度。为了完成在地面的验证／试验工作,就必须建立仿真／测试环境。在构建综合航电系统仿真／验证支持环境中,针对试验室的环境和配置复杂、试验内容和项目多的特点,设计技术先进、功能完善的试验管理平台,可以保障试验高效运行、使试验发挥充分技术水平。试验管理平台作为综合航电系统仿真／验证支持环境的重要组成部分,为验证综合航空电子系统设计的合理性、正确性起重要作用。本文介绍了飞机航空电子系统地面验证环境中试验管理平台的设计方法。     

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     

The Digital Information Facility

The acceptance and implementation of advanced digital avionics and flight control systems is dependent on the successful integration of these systems into the current and future National Airspace System (NAS). This paper describes a digital avionics systems research facility known as the Digital Information Facility (DIF) developed to provide researchers with the ground systems and air-to-ground interfaces needed to conduct and document experiments involving a mix of new technologies within the existing NAS infrastructure. The DIF supports four NAS functions: Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC), Flight Information Services (FIS), Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) navigation, and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The DIF also includes the capability to record pilot and air traffic management interactions and document research participant observations. The DIF capability includes connectivity to flight test and simulated aircraft in a fully immersive Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) environment.     

民机飞行机组操作程序设计探讨

飞行机组操作程序是飞行员完成驾驶舱操作任务的基础,对于确保飞机安全飞行具有重要的意义。参考民用航空领域若干典型的驾驶舱操作研究成果,并结合实际工程经验,提出了飞行机组操作程序设计的一般流程、方法,包括制造商在操作程序设计中对适航规章、设计技术和运营经验等方面的内容。提出的设计流程和方法可用于指导民用飞机飞行机组操作程序设计。     

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.     

Expert System Applications to the Cockpit of the '90s

There is a strong requirement for a new generation of avionics systems with a more integrated hardware and software structure. This integrated avionics system will use significant increases in computer automation with more innovative signal processing, sensor fusion and expert system software to reduce pilot workload, while improving total system performance and reliability. Expert system software packages will be implemented within the core architecture of these next generation integrated avionics systems to assist the pilot. The expert systems will consider the pertinent information available from the ``sensor' subsystems to assess the current situation. The expert systems then consult their knowledge base and rule base software structures to determine alternative reactions to the perceived situation. Then pending upon the critical of the function, situation and reaction, the expert system could either execute the most favorable reaction or display the suggested alternative courses of action to the pilot. This paper addresses the requirement, the enabling technologies and the potential structure of this next generation of avionics. It concludes with two examples of the potential of future avionics expert systems. The two examples are 1) A Navigation and Route Planning Expert and 2) A Threat Assessment and Threat Reaction Expert. Significant things are happening in technology at an accelerating pace that enable the development of this new generation of avionics.     

Military Products From Commercial Lines

“Military Products From Commercial Lines” is a pilot program within the Air Force Manufacturing Technology Directorate's Industrial Base Pilots Office. TRW's Avionics and Surveillance Group (ASG) is leading the program. This pilot program will demonstrate commercial-military integration by producing F-22 military avionics modules on an automotive electronics production line operated by TRW's Automotive Electronics Group (AEG). To accomplish this requires a redesign of the modules so that they are producible using commercial automotive electronics processes. Dual use manufacturing also dictates establishing compatible business practices, manufacturing infrastructures and process technologies. Business practices that must be changed involve accounting procedures, contracting requirements, audit requirements and quality control. Manufacturing infrastructure improvements include incorporation of advanced concurrent engineering tools and process control software to allow economic production of small lot sizes. Process technology changes involve designing for production lines that are highly automated and compatibility with commercial practices     

Design issues for MIL-STD-1773 optical fiber avionics data buses

In this paper, several design issues on highly reliable MIL-STD-1773 (or 1553B) optical fiber avionics data buses are investigated. Two optical modulation techniques are proposed for avionics data buses, and they can be used to efficiently solve the problems associated with the fast identification of correct operation states for optical transmitters while maintaining less complexity of transceivers. The implementation of the proposed techniques is discussed. We also deal with the selection of optical devices and fibers to improve the reliability and power budget of optical fiber avionics data buses. Furthermore, some future improvements on avionics data bus systems are pointed out     

GPS III system operations concepts

Over the past three years, the Lockheed Martin GPS III team has analyzed potential operational concepts for the Air Force. The completed tasks support the government's objective of a "realizable and operationally feasible" US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) concept of operations. This paper provides an overview of the operational improvements for the command and control of satellites, the provision of safe, precise navigation and timing services to end-users. The GPS III system changes existing operational paradigms. Improved operator capabilities are enabled by a new high-speed uplink/downlink and crosslink communication architecture. Continuous connectivity allows operators a "contact one satellite - contact all satellites" concept enabling near-real-time navigation updates and telemetry monitoring. This paper describes potential improvements for the following operations: constellation monitoring, command and control, navigation upload monitoring, global service monitoring, global service prediction, civilian navigation (CNAV) messaging, and anomaly detection and resolution. This paper also describes future operational improvements as GPS applications continue to proliferate and the need for an improved infrastructure to effectively manage all the systems that affect GPS service grows     

Aging avionics and net-centric operations

The transformation to net-centric operations necessitates evaluation of existing avionics capabilities, identification of deficiencies of these avionics for net-centric operations, and evaluation of alternative avionics that can provide the needed capabilities. The Global Information Grid (GIG) enables net-centric operations. The purpose of the GIG is to provide end users real-time or near-real-time access to multiple information sources ranging from airborne/satellite/ground sensors (video imagery and processed visual information/data) to databases. The end users in an aircraft view and interact with this information through the human system interface (HSI) or "smart" displays. The information is transmitted across a Gigabit Ethernet on-board the aircraft that interfaces with multiple channels of a software programmable radio that acts as a hub in the GIG network, or on-board sensors and processors. This paper presents the mandated capabilities, and the processes involved in determination of upgrades needed to achieve net-centric operations.     

Free flight is in the future: large-scale controller pilot data link communications emulation testbed

NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC) is responsible for the Advanced Communications for Air Traffic Management (AC/ATM) Project, a sub-element task of the Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) Project of the NASA Airspace Systems Program. The AC/ATM Project is developing new communications technologies and tools that will enable Free Flight, an operating mode in which pilots will have the freedom to select their path and speed in real-time. The goal of the AC/ATM Project is to enable a communications infrastructure providing the capacity, efficiency, and flexibility necessary to realize benefits arising from the future mature Free Flight environment. A key infrastructure element is the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN) that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the process of fielding.     

The future functionalities of the flight management system

The availability of new Communication, Navigation and Surveillance technologies provides the basis to move towards advanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) concepts. Some of these concepts will impact the airborne Flight Management System (FMS) by introducing new functions with different flight time horizons. In this discussion, two main flight time horizon are defined:The tactical flight time horizon is between 30s and 10mn ahead of the aircraft current position. Airborne separation from traffic, terrain and adverse weather will be introduced in this time horizon as a tactical function.The strategic flight time horizon is more than 10mn ahead of the aircraft current position. Weather datafusion, enroute inflight replanning assistance and air-ground trajectory negotiation will be introduced in this time horizon as strategic functions.The organisation of the associated future flight management system can be synthesised in the scheme (figure 1). The data to be displayed to the pilot for his flight awareness are functions of the flight phase, the type of airspace and of the type of situation encountered.Globally these data can be shared as functions of their flight time horizons, and their topic, as it is described in the table below. In the cells are indicated the flight objects that these data address.SEXTANT as a major avionics manufacturer is leading research and development activities in the area of ATM related airborne flight management functions. Their existing or expected findings are described in this article.