DUET - a Modern MMI Design and Software Generation Tool for the NH90 Avionics

The design and development of the man machine interface of a modern "glass cockpit" helicopter, such as the NH90, requires very flexible and powerful tools in order to cope with the complex requirements of the users from 10 military organizations within 4 nations. Although there are only 2 basic versions of the NH90 (TTH: Tactical Transport Helicopter, and NFH: NATO Frigate Helicopter), the software and MMI development tools are being designed by EUROCOPTER in view of the many different national variants for the serial production and for export versions. The main user interfaces for the NH90 helicopter avionics (besides the multifunction displays) are the Display Keyboard Units (DKUs), which act as intelligent terminals for the connected main computers and perform data pre-processing and pre-validation. Each DKU is designed to handle up to 1000 different screen formats (pages). DKU pages are developed independently at different locations in Europe in close co-operation with the customer. Before final software implementation of the DKU pages, definitions are subject to MMI evaluation by the customer using a DKU simulation. To handle the technical and organizational complexity of the system development environment a new approach to DKU MMI definition and software development has been taken. A DKU page definition tool (DUET) has been developed to support all participants involved in the MMI definition and software development process. DUET is a data base tool which manages page tables containing the display and interface related data which are most likely susceptible to MMI changes. Data input is done via an intuitive windows supported user interface. DUET has the following main features • enforcement of consistency among specifications, DKU software, main computer software, simulation and the corresponding documentation • reduction of MMI influences on the main computer software • flexibility and speed to react on MMI comments from the customer • enforcement of MMI rules among the system/MMI design engineers in the different partner companies of NH90 program • software generation for DKU, main computers and simulation • configuration management • support of MMI modifications for national variants, kits and options • automatic generation of documentation.