Custom Bus Interface for Older Test System Upgrading to New Computer

Abstract

Boeing has delivered numerous test stations using older (i.e., Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)) or custom computer bus structures. These stations were delivered to customers in the 1980s to support aircraft that are now expected to remain operational well beyond 2030, which exceeds their original design life. Many of the systems are being upgraded with newer computers, which do not support the legacy bus structures required to control the test station assets. In order to reduce the customer's lifecycle maintenance costs of upgrading these systems, it is desired to retain some custom hardware/software to interface/control the existing test station assets. To accomplish this, a new custom bus interface from the modern computer bus alternatives is needed. An example of this is one of Boeing's hydraulic test stations. The station was developed using a modified ISA bus using a custom bus interface board and OS/2 operating system. The station has custom hardware/software that was developed over the past 30 years. The station controller is being upgraded to a computer using a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) or Peripheral Component Interconnect express (PCIe) bus with Windows 10 operating system as an upgrade for existing customers and for a new customer. In an attempt to facilitate selling this upgrade to existing customers, it was determined that the existing asset hardware/software interfaces/controls would be retained. This will reduce the cost and effort to perform the upgrades. Therefore, a custom interface/bridge between the PCI/PCIe bus and the custom bus of the station needs to be developed.