KR20140002331A - Integration test apparatus for integration testing of avionics system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an efficient integrated test apparatus for avionics equipment to cope with the development of avionics integrated system.
As one embodiment for realizing this, the present invention provides an integrated test apparatus for integrated test of an avionics system, comprising: an operator test console (OTC) unit that simulates a real aircraft cockpit constituting the avionics system; An avionics equipment console (AEC) unit in which at least one line replaceable unit (LRU) of the avionics system is attached and detached; And an avionics simulation console (ASC) unit for controlling the operator test console unit and the avionics console unit and monitoring the control process.

Description

INTEGRATION TEST APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATION TESTING OF AVIONICS SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to an integrated test apparatus for efficiently testing an avionics system, and more particularly, to an efficient integrated test apparatus for avionics equipment for coping with the development of avionics integrated system.

With the development of highly integrated electronic circuits, the avionics system is generally designed in an integrated form centered on a mission computer.

This design method is a design method that is different from the existing independent type, which is designed to perform, control, and display the functions of each device. In the integrated design method, interworking between devices is an important design variable as compared to the independent method.

In addition, the number of signals required for integration interworking is also increasing exponentially.

As the number of signals interlocked between devices increases, it is common to apply a procedure to check the interoperability of avionics systems by constructing a separate integrated test environment on the ground before installing them on the aircraft.

In fact, in an integrated avionics system, the cost of resolving failures increases as the development phase progresses.

Quantitatively, the cost of troubleshooting in the current stage is reported to be about 10 times that of performing the troubleshooting in the previous stage.

Figure 1 illustrates the trend of costs for fault detection and fault exploration at each stage of development.

Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen that the cost (B) required to troubleshoot and resolve defects prior to mounting on the aircraft is significantly less than the cost (A) generated after installation or during operation.

Indeed, for this reason, sufficient testing of avionics systems in pre-integrated interlocking environments is recognized as an essential process.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described point, and the actual flight electronic program and OFP (Operational Flight Program) mounted on a mission computer (MC) satisfying individual requirements are actually used. The purpose is to verify the functional operation of each component through simulation operation in the integrated avionics system.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a fault simulation / debugging environment between system ground / flight tests generated after the debugging environment support and aircraft installation.

In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is an integrated test apparatus for integrated test of an avionics system, and an operator test console that simulates a real aircraft cockpit constituting the avionics system. OTC) part; An avionics equipment console (AEC) unit in which at least one line replaceable unit (LRU) of the avionics system is attached and detached; And an avionics simulation console (ASC) unit for controlling the operator test console unit and the avionics console unit and monitoring the control process.

According to a preferred embodiment, the operator test console unit includes a video selection / distributor, an integrated control panel, a data transfer system (DTS), a multi-function display (MFD), and a flight control panel (FCP). An interface including a Flight Control Panel (CLI) and a Control Data Unit (CDU) may be installed.

According to a preferred embodiment, the avionics console unit comprises a REAL / SIM panel for switching between a simulation model and the at least one line replaceable avionics and the at least one line replaceable avionics. Equipment including a power distribution device for distribution and a Versa Module Europa (VME) card file for providing simulation signals for the simulation model or the at least one line replaceable avionics and monitoring the process will be installed. Can be.

According to a preferred embodiment, the avionics simulation console unit may be composed of a flight simulation PC (personal computer), a user interface PC, a simulation engine PC, and a data monitoring PC, the flight simulation constituting the avionics simulation console unit The PC, the user interface PC, the simulation engine PC, and the data monitoring PC may all be operated on a Windows basis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the flight simulation PC is provided as a means of demonstrating pilot view and flight conditions, and the user interface PC simulates operation and control, data injection, and instrument / panel simulation. The simulation engine PC may be provided as real time data input / output control to the avionics simulation console unit, and as simulation software driving means, and the data monitoring PC may be provided as data monitoring, data recording / storing means. .

1 is a diagram showing a trend of costs for fault detection and fault investigation of an aircraft.
2 is a view schematically showing an example of an integrated avionic test system according to the present invention.
3 is a schematic representation of an integrated test apparatus software architecture.
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the model configuration of the line replaceable avionics (LRU) that can be applied to the integrated avionic test system according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an interlocking process between each of a dynamic model, an action model, and an interlocking model and a mission computer (MC). FIG.
Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the development procedure of the model applied to the software of the integrated avionic test system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein are set forth to assist in understanding the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, as will be apparent from the following description, the present invention is mainly applied to efficiently test the avionics system of a helicopter aircraft, but may be applied to any other aircraft as long as it is the purpose of the integrated testing of the avionics system of an aircraft. That is, hereinafter, the integrated test apparatus mainly applied to the helicopter aircraft will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[Integrated test device of avionics system]

2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the avionics integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

The avionics integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention is a device for verifying and testing a system in conjunction with mission computer software and dynamic simulation data of an aircraft.

To this end, the avionics system integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention is an operator test console (OTC) unit 10 that simulates an actual aircraft cockpit, and aerospace in which various kinds of avionics are actually mounted and detached. An electronic equipment console (AEC) unit 20 and an avionics simulation console (ASC) unit 30 that controls each component of the integrated test device 1 is configured.

Operator Test Console (OTC) unit 10 is a component for simulating the cockpit of the aircraft as similar as possible, video selection / distributor 110, MISC panel 120, integrated control panel 130, the center Electrical components that make up the avionics system such as console 140, data transmission equipment (DTS) 150, multi-function display (MFD) 160, flight control panel (FCP) 170, control display (CDU) 180, Provide a mechanical interface. In other words, the operator test console unit 10 is a component that verifies the actual aircraft as similar as possible, the actual equipment to meet the various operational requirements that must be satisfied by the avionics system through the actual equipment.

Avionics Equipment Console (AEC) unit 20 is a component that is actually mounted components constituting the avionics system. That is, in the avionics console unit 20, mounting, power connection, signal lines, etc. are formed in the same manner as the interface control document (ICD) of the aircraft so that the actual avionics components may be mounted. For example, the avionics console unit 20 includes a REAL / SIM panel 210 for switching between a simulation model and various line replaceable avionics, and a power distribution for various line replaceable avionics. Equipment including a power distribution device 220 and a Versa Module Europa (VME) card file 230 for providing simulation signals and monitoring the process for the simulation model or the various line replaceable avionics are basically It may be installed.

Accordingly, in the avionics console unit 20 applied to the avionics integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention, main control computers such as a mission computer (MC), a flight control computer (FLCC), and an inertial satellite are included. Navigation (Inertial Navigation System / Global Positioning System (INS / GPS)), Radar Altimeter (RALT), Pia Identification Device, Collision Avoidance Warning Device, Imaging Device, Data Link Device, etc. may be mounted or detached.

The avionics simulation console (ASC) unit 30 provides a hardware and software interface between the avionics devices and provides an interface for data monitoring and simulation. To this end, the avionics simulation console unit 30 includes four Windows-based PCs (flight simulation PC 310, user interface PC 320, simulation engine PC 330, and data monitoring PC 340). It is composed.

Here, the flight simulation PC 310 is provided as a means for demonstrating a pilot view and a flight state.

In addition, the user interface PC 320 is provided as a simulation operation and control, data injection, instrument / panel simulation means.

In addition, the simulation engine PC 330 is provided as real-time input / output control to the avionics simulation console unit 30, and simulation software drive (model, driver) means.

The data monitoring PC 340 is also provided as data monitoring and data recording / storing means.

3 schematically shows an integrated test apparatus software architecture that can be applied to the avionics integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the integrated test device software architecture that can be applied to the avionics integrated test device 1 according to the present invention is designed as an object-oriented structure that can be reused even if the project is changed. Therefore, the software of the Portable Test Equipment (PTE) is also designed as a driver that can carry only the I / O module while maintaining the reuse module. The simulation engine and user interface part of the basic framework of the software are the same as the integrated test device software, and the DB, driver and model are newly implemented.

For reference, the following Table 1 outlines the components of the integrated tester software.

[Table 1]

The integrated test apparatus 1 composed of the operator test console unit 10, the avionics console 20, and the avionics simulation console 30 as described above is not a hardware-based real-time system. It can be produced as a soft real-time system based, thus providing a convenient development environment.

For example, a soft real-time-based development environment is sufficient for verifying the functionality of a mission equipment package (MEP) of an aircraft (eg, a helicopter). And flight testing to verify functional and performance.

[Study on the avionics model that can be applied for the proper operation of the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention]

1. Requirements Analysis

For the proper operation of the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention, a flight operation program (OFP) mounted on an aircraft (for example, a helicopter) mission-mounted equipment (MEP) system and an aircraft-free computer is provided. Provide an environment for testing and integration. A test environment for implementing such a requirement can be provided through the implementation of the avionics modeling implementation, and the detailed functions required are shown in Table 2 below.

Table 2 below shows the requirements related to the modeling of avionics equipment required for proper operation of the integrated test apparatus (1) and a description of each requirement.

[Table 2]

2. Model Development Overview

In general, modeling means abstracted simulation objects or processes. Real equipment, such as maintenance fault list (MFL) verification, has limitations in verifying system requirements or needs to verify flight data such as location information (latitude, longitude, altitude), speed, acceleration, and attitude information on the ground. Can be verified using avionics modeling techniques.

Models can also be used to build and maintain a reliable mission-based equipment (MEP) verification environment for models that are not equipped for heterogeneous avionics and equipment improvements.

FIG. 4 schematically shows a model configuration 40 of a line replaceable avionic unit (LRU) applicable to the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

Referring to Figure 4, the avionics model 40 that can be applied to the integrated test device 1 according to the present invention is characterized in that the operation of the aircraft (posture, state, position, fuel consumption) or external environmental characteristics during simulation (Atmospheric pressure, wind, weight) and target simulation.

In addition, the avionics model 40, which can be applied to the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention, is classified into a dynamic model 410, an action model 420, and an interworking model 430 according to dynamic characteristics. Here, the dynamic model 410 is interlocked with the flight model 440, the behavior model 420 models the state of the avionics equipment, the interlock model 430 means a model that has no data or events input from the outside do.

These three models (dynamic model 410, behavior model 420, interlocking model 430) commonly include the ability to simulate, store and monitor the input and output signals of avionics equipment, and for testing and fault investigation purposes In addition, it provides a function to inject noise into the output signal of the database defined by each avionics model.

FIG. 5 illustrates the interworking between each of the three models (dynamic model 410, behavior model 420, and interworking model 430) and a mission computer (MC), where SIMENG is a full simulation engine. It performs key functions such as driver control, data management and processing, and model scheduling management.

3. Model Design

In general, a real-time system refers to a system that completes a task within a predetermined time.

The avionics model applied for proper operation of the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention may also be designed in a structure that operates in real time.

In designing the avionics model in a real-time operating structure, the inventors designate a manager module for each function in the interface design to unify the access for each module, thereby preventing operation speed and errors.

In addition, since the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention is operated in a window environment rather than a real-time operating system, the execution frame designation and offset in a macro can be used to design a model scheduling design similar to that of executing a process in a real-time operating system. Could get This performance verification was confirmed by repeatedly measuring the message interworking time between the model and the mission computer (MC).

● Interface design

The interface of the avionics model applied for the proper operation of the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention is a model manager module for managing model scheduling, and a database for using data defined in the ICD in the model. Manager (DB Manager) module, I / O Manager (I / O Manager) module that is responsible for the data input and output for calculation in the model.

● Model base class design

In general, designing a class is equivalent to abstracting the model's base class.

In the avionics model applied for the proper operation of the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the CModel class is defined as the base class of all models.

CModel class member functions are shown in Table 3 below.

As shown in Table 3, the inventors abstracted the initialization function, the simulated state processing function, the driver control function, the scheduling function, etc. that the model must process in common and defined them in the CModel class.

[Table 3]

Model Scheduling

In the scheduling of the avionics model applied for the proper operation of the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention, it is executed every subframe (10m sec) according to the definition of the scheduling table and the model is executed according to the scheduling period and the offset. Designed to distribute tasks.

Table 4 below shows an example of how models are scheduled at the code level.

[Table 4]

As shown in Table 4, the present inventors are defined in all the sub-frame table for the flight model, so that the scheduling interval is 10msec, APM and ADC are defined every 2 frames and INS and CDU are defined every 4 frames Scheduled at 20msec and 40msec intervals respectively.

4. Model Implementation

The software applied to the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention is implemented in the object-oriented language C ++, so it is relatively easy to add and change modules without affecting different modules even when adding a new model or changing an ICD.

Figure 6 schematically shows the development procedure of the model that can be introduced into the software applied to the integrated test device 1 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6, a model that can be introduced into the software applied to the integrated test apparatus 1 according to the present invention is based on the ICD, and a line replaceable unit (LRU) line replaceable unit (LRU) DB is provided. In step S601, the model type is determined (S602), and if the determined model type is an interworking model (ICD Model), the step of defining a scheduling frame (S605) and debugging and verifying (S606) are performed. The model can be developed according to the above step, and if the determined model type in step S602 is a behavior model or a dynamic model, the step of designing / implementing a line replaceable avionics (LRU) behavior (S603) and flight. The model may be developed according to the procedure of connecting the interface (S604), defining a scheduling frame (S605), and debugging and verifying (S606).

5. Model Verification

Since the model itself is a verification tool at the final stage of mission deployment system development, it is essential to secure reliability. The present inventors verify the objective reliability verification in two stages, the software unit test level and the system integration level, respectively, based on the software test verification procedure and the system integration procedure.

In the above description, all the components constituting the embodiments of the present invention are described as being combined into one operation, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments. That is, within the scope of the present invention, all of the components may be selectively coupled to one or more of them. In addition, although all of the components may be implemented as one independent hardware, some or all of the components may be selectively combined to provide a program module that performs some or all of the functions in one or a plurality of hardware As shown in FIG.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. . Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to illustrate rather than limit the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

1: Integrated test apparatus 10: Operator test console
20: avionics console portion 30: avionics console portion
110: video selection / distributor 120: MISC panel
130: integrated control stick 140: center console
150: data transmission equipment (DTS) 160: multi-function display (MFD)
170: flight control panel (FCP) 180: control display unit (CDU)
210: REAL / SIM panel 220: power distribution device
230: VME card file 310: flight simulation PC
320: user interface PC 330: simulation engine PC
340: Data Monitoring PC 410: Dynamic Model
420: behavior model 430: interlocked model
440: flight model

Claims (5)

As an integrated test device for integrated test of avionics system,
An operator test console (OTC) unit that simulates an actual aircraft cockpit constituting the avionics system;
An avionics equipment console (AEC) unit in which at least one line replaceable unit (LRU) of the avionics system is attached and detached; And
Integrated test apparatus including an operator simulation console (Avionics Simulation Console; ASC) for controlling the operator console console and the avionics console and monitor the control process. The method of claim 1,
The operator test console unit,
Video Selector / Distributor, Integrated Control Panel, Data Transfer System (DTS), Multi-Function Display (MFD), Flight Control Panel (FCP), and Control Display (CDU) Integrated test device, characterized in that the interface including a data unit) is installed. The method of claim 1,
The avionics console unit,
A REAL / SIM panel for switching between a simulation model and said at least one line replaceable avionics, a power distribution device for distributing power to said at least one line replaceable avionics, and said simulation model or said at least An integrated test apparatus comprising a VME (Versa Module Europa) card file is installed to provide a simulation signal for a single line replaceable avionics and to monitor the process. The method of claim 1,
The avionics simulation console unit,
It consists of flight simulation personal computer, user interface PC, simulation engine PC, and data monitoring PC.
And the flight simulation PC, the user interface PC, the simulation engine PC, and the data monitoring PC constituting the avionic simulation console unit are all operated on a Windows basis. 5. The method of claim 4,
The flight simulation PC is provided as a means of demonstrating pilot view and flight conditions,
The user interface PC is provided as a means of simulation operation and control, data injection, and instrument / panel simulation,
The simulation engine PC is provided as real time data input / output control to the avionics simulation console unit, and simulation software driving means,
And said data monitoring PC is provided as data monitoring and data recording / storing means.

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