Component Technology Insertion into Critical Avionics Applications

Effective technology insertion is a major concern for commercial and defense aeronautics firms. With electronics contributing up to 45% of the total cost of modern aeronautic systems, proper selection and management of electronics technology is essential to success. Market dynamics and government directives have made the use of commercial off-the-shelf components mandatory for the cost-effective development of leading edge avionics systems. Successful insertion of commercial component technology in helicopter avionics requires that attention be paid to four key areas: defect-free manufacturing and assembly, component storage and use, component and supply chain management, and obsolescence management. The CALCE Electronic Products and Systems Consortium has created a roadmap and instituted a research program addressing key issues in these areas. This roadmap and the associated research provide the Consortium partners with methods to find appropriate existing and emerging technologies, methods to assess the applicability of these technologies to their products and services, and methods to mitigate the risks involved in integrating these technologies into their systems. Consortium partners have benefited directly and indirectly from their participation in planning and executing the roadmap. Benefits include both direct savings resulting from the use of these technology insertion protocols in their own product development efforts as well as the modifications of their own research and development priorities based on participation in this Consortium.