Abstract
Today’s military and commercial aircraft avionics and general systems are built around complex networks of intelligent devices. Maintenance and troubleshooting of these systems often require access to the data bus or networks connecting the system components. Whether it is on the integration test bench, Final Assembly Line (FAL) or at the Maintenance and Repair Organization (MRO), these tasks are usually performed by means of many, expensive, heavy and intrusive equipment. The MMIBS (Mini-Multi Interface Box Simulator) is a very compact, portable, multipurpose, lightweight, low-power, and easy-of-use electronics test means intended to improve digital aircraft ground testing and maintenance troubleshooting. It is capable of perform functional testing and simulating aeronautical equipment through most common aeronautical communication interfaces, such as AFDX, CAN BUS, ARINC 429, MIL-STD-1553, RS-422, RS-232, RS-485, Discrete and Analog I/O and RVDT (Rotary Variable Differential Transformer) reading capabilities. Besides, the system is highly configurable and reprogrammable by means of intuitive Python-based scripting. System is also able to be controlled with an intuitive, user-friendly and dedicated HMI (Human Machine Interface). In this mode, the user can conform a MMIBS WIFI network, allowing multiple MMIBS operating in parallel to cover complex testing scenarios. The MMIBS device integrates all the aeronautical communication and signaling in a volume of 12x12x12cm and weight of 1200g and provides an autonomy of 5 hours. In this way, our solution combines performance, reliability, low maintenance costs, and ease-of-use to support efficient ground maintenance operations.
Highlights
The new aircraft systems design trend to be more electrical and digital in order to reduce space and weight and increase the testing and maintenance capabilities with significant cost reduction [1]
Concept and Development Phases As a first step Airbus Defence and Space Manufacturing Engineering Transversal Systems department, prepared a CONOPS (Concept of Operation) for the MMIBS, identifying the most common use-cases and interfaces needed for ground test in Airbus Defence and Space production Final Assembly Line (FAL) for C-295, A400M and A330-MRTT mainly
In any case, such commercial products confirms that the number and interface types, requested and implemented in MMIBS are correct and makes it a very capable testing platform for current and future aircraft ground test operations, as identified in [4,5]
Summary
The new aircraft systems design trend to be more electrical and digital in order to reduce space and weight and increase the testing and maintenance capabilities with significant cost reduction [1] This allows providing digital solutions with highly integrated software functions dedicated to increase the auto-testing capabilities of the aircraft, allowing reducing the intrusiveness since the number of ground test means decreases for production and maintenance operations. These kind of auto-testing functions are very interesting for the new civilian type aircrafts which have large demands and where systems and optionals are usually the same from one customer airliner to the other.
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