Abstract

Flight management of modern civil aircraft is realized by a system of sophisticated computerized devices and commands, which provides the pilot with navigation, aircraft status and other dynamic flight information enabling him to perform his task correctly. However, rigorous testing of the flight management system (FMS) is needed to discover and remedy any flaw in the hardware or software components so as to ensure proper running of the system, as well as to reveal potential for further improvement. A joint project between the CMC Electronics Canada Inc., world leader in civil aircraft FMS, and the Concordia University was initiated to develop a dynamic test bed (DTB) for achieving this aim, culminating in an application-level testing tool that could meet specified requirements yet remain within affordable range. This paper describes achievements gained in phase 1 and 2 of the project, focussing on the A429-PC hardware setup and fabrication of a breakout box with its circuit board on the hardware side, as well as the real-time architecture design, an executive program, a device driver for A429 and a client-server Ethernet network on the software side. Accessory tools created such as an ARINC switch graphic user interface (GUI), ARINC label GUI and discrete signal GUI are also described. Also given is a rather comprehensive overview of the principles relevant to the project together with suggestions for future improvement of the DTB.