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Original Date: 08/07/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007
Information : Avionics Systems Integration
Avionics Systems Integration has undergone significant changes since 1985 at Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems (LMTAS). The process has evolved from a series of formal tests verifying each step in the development of the Operational Flight Program to a single, formal signoff at the avionics system level. The system hardware has also been changed from a specific application with generic software to more generic hardware and more mission- specific software.
Implementing the current avionics integration process involved a significant step forward in LMTAS airborne software process and support elements. The number of different development systems required has been reduced from five to three. These three systems are based on common software tools, standard interfaces, and standardized operating systems.
Avionics Simulation Environment (ASE) is a workstation-based, software-development environment used to develop, integrate, and test Ada object-oriented flight software for the F-16's Modular Mission Computer (MMC). This workstation provides a simulation environment for execution on any of the desktop workstations used by each of the MMC software engineers. An estimated 80% of MMC flight software has been tested using ASE with real-time test stations and simulators before the software’s use in the target hardware.
The Core Integration Station (CIS) uses actual hardware and is the first platform which supports testing of the MMC flight software in its entirety. It can place the MMC in a user-defined, simulated real-time flight environment. The CIS has been designed to allow one user absolute control over the simulation session or shared control between many users.
The Integration Test Station workstation provides both static and closed-loop dynamic testing capabilities and test of the F-16 Avionics System. It supports design verification, implementation, and compatibility of new or modified avionics using actual subsystem hardware and software. Simulation of real world parameters allows evaluation of scenarios and functions which are either difficult to observe in flight or would pose an extreme risk to the aircraft or the pilot.
Each system utilizes commercial computers with individual versions of the UNIX operating system. They also use generic software, automated software test tools, multi-user and remote features, and common realistic graphical cockpit interface simulations with dynamic aircraft environment models. They are connected on a network for access and data sharing throughout the organization.
Networking and integration of these systems have had a positive effect on the quality of the end product while capital investments, support costs, and direct labor have been significantly reduced. Customer satisfaction and on-time delivery of complete systems continues to support the success of this effort.
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