Browse Topic: Aircraft displays
This paper addresses the determinacy issue of multi-task execution in the Remote Data Conversion Unit of an integrated modular avionics (IMA) system in a non - operating system environment. A three - level hierarchical static scheduling table architecture for the Remote Data Conversion Unit is proposed. In this architecture, the maximum execution cycle of functional parameters is used as the device scheduling table cycle, the minimum execution cycle is used as the scheduling block cycle, and the worst - case execution time is used as the functional execution time. Through hierarchical design, the orderly connection of functions, scheduling blocks, and devices is achieved. A periodic interrupt mechanism is adopted between scheduling blocks to ensure time alignment at the scheduling block cycle level. Inside the scheduling block, a polling mechanism is used to perform static sorting according to the worst - case execution time of functions, and a wait function is introduced to achieve time alignment and fault isolation. For fault - tolerant faults, a delayed response strategy is adopted to avoid violating atomicity. For non - fault - tolerant faults, rapid detection and restart processing are achieved relying on periodic interrupts. A Simulink model is used to conduct a comparative simulation of the Remote Data Conversion Unit using a competition mechanism and the scheduling table mechanism. The results show that under normal and fault conditions, this architecture significantly reduces data transmission jitter, improves system determinacy and fault - tolerance ability, meets the requirements of the DO - 297 standard for functional independence and safety, and provides an effective solution for improving the determinacy of the civil aviation Remote Data Conversion Unit.
This document presents criteria for flight deck controls and displays for Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems.
Aerospace manufacturers are leveraging multicore processors and modularity to design smarter cockpit displays and avionic computers that are smaller and capable of supporting more applications from a single line replaceable unit (LRU). Some are also starting to embed more of the processing required to enable cockpit display applications within the display itself, rather than having it enabled by an associated LRU. The development of new electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and avionics companies changing their approach to the development of safety critical computers and aircraft networking technologies are some of the aerospace industry factors driving this design trend. In the U.S., the Department of Defense (DoD) embracing the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) across the purchase of all new aircraft technologies is influencing design changes in cockpit displays and aircraft computers as well.
This document recommends criteria and requirements for a flight management system (FMS) for transport aircraft. The FMS shall provide the functions of lateral navigation, vertical navigation, and performance management and may include time of arrival control. The FMS design shall take human factors considerations into account to produce a fault tolerant system.
This paper presents the results of a simulator study. The study evaluated the situation awareness provided by an obstacle awareness and warning display (OAWD) and DLR’s conformal 3D landing symbology (CLS) which were presented in a head-worn see-through display (HWD). The OAWD is shown as inset or so called virtual cockpit instrument (VCI). It represents an coplanar orthogonal 360 degree top view and HWD-adapted obstacle awareness and warning display (VCI-OAWD) developed by DLR. The study investigated the application of the VCI-OAWD and the CLS on its own as well as in conjunction. The different display conditions were tested with 7 helicopter pilots conducting an offshore platform landing operation in DLR’s generic experimental cockpit simulator. The study addressed two main questions firstly, the comparison of the spatial awareness provided by the VCI-OAWD and the CLS and secondly, the influence of the amount of information presented in the head-worn display.
The effectiveness of helicopter electronic Engine Indications and Crew Alerting Systems (EICAS) can be improved by applying display techniques rooted in human factors principles. These display techniques were developed to rapidly communicate systems information so that "head inside the cockpit" time could be minimized for safety. These design principles are not new, but as the EICAS design community has changed over the last 30 years, recognition of these proven techniques is extremely relevant. As the industry moves towards more "display-by-exception" presentations, also known as 'black cockpit" designs, certain indications are only present when there is a problem. In these designs it is especially important that the presentation be intuitive as the pilot may no longer be familiar with the behavior of the indication since it is only presented in an abnormal situation. The presentation must be intuitive at a glance.
This paper presents recent advances in automotive microprocessor, operating system, and supporting software technology that supports regulatory and/or functional safety graphics within vehicle cockpit displays. These graphics include “virtual switches” that replace physical switches in the vehicle, as well as “virtual indicators” that replace physical indicator lights. We discuss the functional safety design process and impacts to software and hardware architecture as well as the software design methods to implement End-To-End [E2E] network protection between different ECUs and software processes. We also describe hardware monitoring requirements within the display panel, backlighting, and touch screen and examine an example system design to illustrate the concepts.
This document presents criteria for flight deck controls and displays for Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems.
This paper details the design and limited flight testing of a preliminary system for visual pilot cueing during autorotation maneuvers. The cueing system is based on a fully-autonomous, multi-phase autorotation control law that has been shown to successfully achieve autonomous autorotation landing in unmanned helicopters. To transition this control law to manned systems, it is employed within a cockpit display to drive visual markers which indicate desired collective pitch and longitudinal cyclic positions throughout the entire maneuver, from autorotation entry to touchdown. A series of simulator flight experiments performed at University of Liverpool's HELIFLIGHT-R simulator are documented, in which pilots attempt autorotation with and without the pilot cueing system in both good and degraded visual environments. Performance of the pilot cueing system is evaluated based on both subjective pilot feedback and objective measurements of landing survivability metrics, demonstrating suitable preliminary performance of the system.
This collection of C++ classes allows users to create and simulate aerospace vehicle models that are needed to test prototyped display software. A software model of the Apollo LEM spacecraft was developed on a Windows-based PC, and was used for initial testing and research of cockpit displays. The model was later updated to the current Altair configuration — the name of NASA’s next lunar lander. The software models the Moon geometry based on Clementine data and lunar gravity in a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) model. The mass/inertias are modeled from the current, known data of the latest released Altair model.
Wilbrecht LEDCO’s new Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS) compatible LEDs are designed for avionics applications that require night vision compatibility. Available in green, yellow, white and red in both 3mm and 5mm sizes, these specially filtered LEDs allow the cockpit display to be visible to the unaided eye, as well as fully night vision goggle (NVG) compatible per MIL-STD-3009 and MIL-L-85762A.
Helicopter Health and Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) provide many benefits, one of which is the ability to provide real time condition of aircraft systems on-board. Providing the aircraft pilot with pending failure information increases safety and in most cases affords the pilot ample time to perform safe precautionary landings. The information displayed to the pilot must be specific as to the system affected to allow for an immediate, intelligent assessment of the aircraft condition. The predominant challenge facing system engineering is establishing parameter and signal validity prior to generating parameter exceedance alarms. Data fidelity must be carefully considered and accomplished in every aspect prior to generating onboard alarms. The United States Marine Corp CH- 46E aircraft program has installed over 130 Honeywell Aircraft Integrated Maintenance Systems (AIMS), which provides a method of providing onboard alarming in three categories. (1) Non-Abort, post flight maintenance required, (2) Pilot informational displayed on the Control Display Navigation Unit, (3) Master Caution panel illumination for flight abort alarms. These three alarm categories represent the best approach to providing aircrew and maintenance personnel with system critical information for continued safe operation of the aircraft while performing maintenance in a field environment. The AIMS’ current configuration has over 100 alarms programmed for cockpit display if advisory criteria are valid. System architecture requires several faulting and alarming mechanisms working together to ensure data fidelity has been met prior to generating an alarm. Several techniques are employed to validate incoming engine parameter signals, such as range checking and rate of change qualification. If signals do not pass validity, alarming is suppressed. Vibration alarming is slightly different. The alarming mechanism utilized is a time hysteresis method, which employs a band alarm with an amplitude and time duration trigger, as well as an amplitude and time duration release. If validity fails, the alarming is suppressed. The Safety aspects are obvious; however just as significant are the maintenance savings recognized from reduction of component collateral damage. . With the belief that all pilots need to know the condition of the machine they are flying at all times, on-board alarming of critical flight components is a necessary function of HUMS. Condition based maintenance starts with safe landing of the aircraft without mishap. On-board alarming will provide increased safety, reliability, and maintainability for the fleet. Savings are incalculable as prevention of the mishap is pricele
This document presents criteria for flight deck controls and displays for Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems providing vertical-only guidance, and provides design guidance for operational, functional, and installation characteristics and requirements for airborne collision avoidance systems in existing and future aircraft.
A prototype hybrid terrain database is being developed in conjunction with other databases and with hardware and software that constitute subsystems of aerospace cockpit display systems (known in the art as synthetic vision systems) that generate images to increase pilots’ situation awareness and eliminate poor visibility as a cause of aviation accidents. The basic idea is to provide a clear view of the world around an aircraft by displaying computer generated imagery derived from an onboard database of terrain, obstacle, and airport information.
The U.S. Army’s Rotorcraft Pilot’s Associate (RPA) program has developed an advanced, intelligent associate system for simulation and flight test demonstration in a next-generation attack and scout helicopter. A significant portion of this effort has been devoted to the design of a fourth generation cockpit, with automated cockpit information management, and with state-of-the-art flat panel cockpit displays, which include touch-screens and pop-up windows. The RPA cockpit provides the pilot-vehicle interface with the Cognitive Decision Aiding System (CDAS), the Data Fusion (DF) software, and the Advanced Mission Equipment Package (AMEP). These displays and controls provide the pilot-vehicle interface with the RPA software behaviors: automated attack planning, route planning, survivability planning, reconnaissance planning, and data fusion. This paper describes the high-level flight test results for each of the RPA software behaviors, with an emphasis on the pilot’s displays and controls. First the highly complex test bed aircraft, which recently completed over 12 months of testing in Mesa and Yuma, Arizona is described. Then an outline of the RPA Flight Demonstration Program and the subjective results of pilot questionnaire data collected at the end of each pilot’s Yuma flight demonstration experience is presented. Concluding the paper is a summary of the highly successful RPA flight demonstration, including the key findings, lessons-learned and conclusions.
One of the major problems that prevent the prevalence of civil helicopters is that safe and reliable dispatch is not established in IMC. Improvement of flying qualities in IMC is mandatory to resolve this problem. We have studied to improve flying qualities in IMC by combining FBW flight control technology, cockpit display technology, and guidance control technology. We have performed piloted flight simulation test. It was found that the sophisticated control law and enhanced cockpit display system contributed to the expansion of flight envelope in IMC. We have performed 0 kt hovering in this piloted flight simulation test.
A new workstation-based pilot-in-the-loop real time simulation environment is presented. This environment is part of a set of tools aimed at helping control system engineers quickly develop robust designs. Block diagrams developed in SIMULINK can be rapidly integrated into the environment, coupled to a mathematical model of the target vehicle, and evaluated with a pilot in the loop. Parameters can be changed directly on the block diagram and the effects of the changes observed in the running simulation. The environment can also be utilized for math model development and for cockpit display research. The various components are described in detail, including means of communication and interaction between the components. An application is discussed for a Yamaha R-50 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle which includes the development of a component-type mathematical model and flight control laws for the vehicle.
The USMC H–1 Upgrade Program has the objective of enhancing the mission capabilities of the utility (UH–1N) and attack (AH–1W) helicopters by incorporating state-of-the-art technologies throughout both platforms. When the USMC utility and attack helicopters started service, there was a significant amount of commonality in the dynamic components. However, the attack helicopter has undergone a series of upgrades, primarily in the rotor, engine, and drive systems, while the utility remained unchanged. With increasing emphasis on cost of ownership, the H–1 Upgrade Program was initiated to upgrade the rotor and drive systems for the attack helicopter and install these same systems on the utility helicopter. The commonality will also apply to the power plant, electrical components, controls, hydraulics, and much of the airframe structural components, such as the tailboom. In addition, a common integrated avionics system is being developed for both helicopters. Items such as mission computers, flight control computers, sensors, cockpit displays, and wiring elements will be incorporated on both helicopters. Common electronic warfare systems are also included. The result of this design effort will be state-of-the-art utility (UH–1Y) and attack (AH–1Z) helicopters that will provide significant cost reductions for the USMC by minimizing spares, support equipment, training, manuals, and packup volume for deployments.
The USMC H-1 Upgrade Program has the objective of enhancing the mission capabilities of the utility (UH-1N) and attack (AH-1W) helicopters by incorporating state-of-the-art technologies throughout both platforms. When the USMC utility and attack helicopters started service, there was a significant amount of commonality in the dynamic components. However, the attack helicopter has undergone a series of upgrades, primarily in the rotor, engine, and drive systems, while the utility remained unchanged. With increasing emphasis on cost of ownership, the H-1 Upgrade Program was initiated to upgrade the rotor and drive systems for the attack helicopter and install these same systems on the utility helicopter. The commonality will also apply to the power plant, electrical components, controls, hydraulics, and much of the airframe structural components, such as the tailboom. In addition, a common integrated avionics system is being developed for both helicopters. Items such as mission computers, flight control computers, sensors, cockpit displays, and wiring elements will be incorporated on both helicopters. Common electronic warfare systems are also included. The result of this design effort will be state-of-the-art utility (UH-1Y) and attack (AH-1Z) helicopters that will provide significant cost reductions for the USMC by minimizing spares, support equipment, training, manuals, and packup volume for deployments.
Several of key display design requirements were derived to support the hardware specifications that were used to procure the AH-64D Apache Longbow color active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD), referred to as multipurpose displays (MPDs). These requirements include resolution, brightness, contrast, NVIS radiance, gray shades, video configurations, and controls. Also discussed are the high level human engineering design guidelines used to apply color to the cockpit display formats along with some of the advantages and potential disadvantages associated with the incorporation of color displays into a military cockpit. Pre-production AMLCDs have been ground and flight tested and a brief discussion of the information gained as a result of this testing is presented to highlight some design tradeoffs. Finally, portions of the results of the validation production flight testing conducted by Boeing to evaluate the performance of the MPDs are also discussed. This testing found that the Apache Longbow MPDs meet crew information requirements and enhance the crew interface. The MPDs have been found to provide very good symbol and text presentation, to increase crew situation awareness relative to their monochrome predecessors, and provide additional tools to enhance and present video information which in turn aids the target recognition and acquisition process.
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