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Introductory slides, contact details etc.
Analogue to Digital to Analogue
Analogue to digital conversion slides.
Real-time Operating Systems
New RTOS slides. Useful background reading can be found at the following links
Embedded systems webcast from lecture
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Best practices for embedded system design in aeronautics and space
T Pardessus
Presentation from DATE 2007: Acropolis, Nice, France Speaker: Th. Pardessus, VP Head of Systems and Integration Test Research and Technology, Airbus SAS
2007-04-19 12:00:00.0 Electronics Channel
>> go to webcast>> recommend to friend
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See also C programming.
Hazard Analysis and System Safety
Lecture Slides
Slides in pdf format, as 4 slides per page, one slide per page and dynamic (as per lecture)
- Hazards and Safety 4up saves paper (8 pages)
- Hazards and Safety static slide per page (30 pages)
- Hazards and Safety dynamic DON'T PRINT (115 pages)
Suggested reading: the following chapters from the United States Federal Aviation Authority website:
The Fault Tree handbook from NASA is a very thorough discussion of the topic. I would recommend reading chapter 4 at least.
There is also a good overview of hazard analysis techniques on Wikipedia.
Tutorial exercise
Communications Protocols
The three primary communications protocols are ARINC 429, the point-to-point protocol,AFDX/ARINC 664 and the US military standard MIL-STD 1553B data bus: ARINC 429 and ARINC 664 will be studied.
- Detailed discussion of ARINC 429 can be found here
- Along with an example of the hardware interface, the HI-3585 IC data-sheet
- The Avionics Full DupleX switched ethernet or AFDX, also referenced as ARINC 664.
- A detailed discussion of Avionics Full DupleX switched ethernet (AFDX)/ ARINC 664
- and a shorter overview here.
- Another AFDX/ARINC 664 tutorial with more detail on message structure here. In particular chapter 12 on the protocol stack
- A glossary to help with all the TLAs that abound in network speak.
- MIL-STD 1553B detailed tutorial paper.
- The Controller-Area Network or CANbus as used in industrial control and motor vehicles is also starting to make an appearance in the aerospace industry. CANaerospace protocol .
Avionics Architectures
Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) have been gaining ground in recent years. The following articles and papers should be reviewed:
- IEEE paper explaining IMA architectures, AFDX/ARINC 664 and ARINC 653 and the way that they inter-operate. Three for the price of one!
- Slides from an Airbus presentation with some excellent diagrams and photographs of the advantages of IMA.
- An overview and comparison of the A380 and 787 systems. Very readable.
- A more detailed outline of the IMA for the Airbus 380 can be found here
Systems Life Cycles
Lecture Slides
PDFs available as 4 slides per page, 1 per page and dynamic
- Lifecycles 4up saves paper (9 pages)
- Lifecycles static slide per page (35 pages)
- Lifecycles dynamic DON'T PRINT (179 pages)
Suggested reading
This paper, from the Software Engineering Institute, is an example of developing the specification for an imaginary mission control computer for a U.S. Naval aircraft. Ties in nicely with the RTOS issues as it includes an assessment of critical timing. It represents an early stage in the software development process.
The IEC provides a wide range of standards documents and guidelines such as IEC 61508, referenced below, which can be applied to aspects of avionics systems. An interesting and detailed example uf using IEC61499 for controlling an avionic distrbuted fuel system . Access this from within the UWE network if you want to read the whole paper. Recommended.
The Safety Critical Software Standards Survey from 1996 provides a comparison of the many standards.
An example development life cycle for combined hardware and software
DO-178B lists the stages as
- Planning: documents covering software standards, verification, certification; Analysis and capture of requirements, development of design spcification.
- Development: design, code, integration of code. Use of approved design method, eg waterfall model, V model, spiral model
- Verification: code coverage / static analysis; code reversal eg code -> flowchart. verification of requirements. Black/white box testing.
All stages should also be covered by a configuration management system that tracks all changes, documentation etc. Will also include an archive of all the test and development tools
Quality assurance documentation must also be provided for each stage of development
DO-178B / EUROCAE ED-12B
The full document is available from the Library
The US standards document for software development in an avionic environment. The following are material from a company specialising in training for DO-178B development so should be read in this light. However they are still a useful source and discuss the pertinant issues.
- A useful overview of DO-178B in the form of questions and answers.
- A whitepaper from the same company discussing development costs for compliant software
- Another overview
- Site dedicated to DO-178B. Registration required.
IEC 61508
"Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems". IEC 61508 defines the standards for land based systems however the principles and requirements are very similar. It specifies a complete safety life cycle for the development of systems for motor vehicles, plant and machinery. The following links and papers provide a useful overview and comparison with DO-178B. Note that the IEC lists "fly-by-wire controls of flight surfaces" as an example of a system covered by IEC 61508.
The full documentation is available electronically from the Library
- Paper on suggested changes to IEC 61508.
- IEC main site for 61508 information and documentation.
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