Method for realizing interoperability of aviation heterogeneous electronic systems

Abstract

The application provides an aviation heterogeneous electronic system interoperation implementation method, comprising the following steps: step 1, editing an interface control file according to the composition of the heterogeneous electronic system; step 2, combining the interface control file, configuring the interoperation relationship of input messages and output messages, and generating an interoperation information support file; step 3, transmitting the generated interoperation information support file to an on-board memory; and step 4, reading the interoperation information support file in the memory by on-board interoperation software, outputting after message analysis and conversion after receiving the input messages, and realizing the interoperation capability. The aviation heterogeneous electronic system interoperation implementation method provided by the application does not need to modify the on-board interoperation software, and is convenient for quick upgrading in the mode of the interoperation information support file, and is helpful to improve the development and integration efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aviation communications, and in particular to a method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation. Background Technology

[0002] Interoperability refers to the ability of a system to work collaboratively with other systems without modifying its protocols. Heterogeneous electronic systems are those that differ in physical structure or communication protocols. For electronic systems on air combat platforms, the goal of interoperability is for systems to provide services to each other and achieve efficient collaborative combat capabilities through the exchange of these services. However, due to the varying manufacturers and development times of different systems within avionics platforms, heterogeneity in physical structure and communication protocols is prevalent, resulting in a lack of interoperability and thus impacting collaborative combat capabilities.

[0003] The factors affecting the interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems on air combat platforms mainly lie in two levels of heterogeneity. First, the control methods of electronic systems within different platforms may be heterogeneous; second, the data interaction methods between different platforms may be heterogeneous.

[0004] Within an air combat platform, control of its electronic systems is achieved through the avionics system. Specifically, the avionics system defines the electrical and electronic interfaces of each subsystem through Interface Control Documents (ICDs), specifying the interfaces within and between systems. An ICD is a structured document, typically organized in a tree structure. In an avionics system, a typical ICD structure, from top to bottom, includes: bus objects, device objects, interface objects, data blocks, signals, and parameters. Data blocks are the interactive messages between communication objects, and signals are the elements within those messages. By organizing messages according to the ICD specifications, control of the electronic systems within the air combat platform can be achieved. Achieving interoperability between heterogeneous air combat electronic systems first requires addressing the heterogeneity of control methods for these systems within the air combat platform. Due to the existence of numerous legacy electronic systems, standardizing equipment hardware and software is extremely difficult. Therefore, a more reasonable approach is to achieve interoperability based on ICDs by converting or translating control command messages from heterogeneous electronic systems.

[0005] For air combat platforms, information exchange is achieved through data link systems. Specifically, in the field of air tactical communications, to meet the communication performance requirements of information warfare, data link systems are used to achieve long-distance, real-time, and efficient information transmission capabilities between various combat units. Therefore, the interoperability of air combat platform electronic systems is achieved through information exchange via data links. Data links are characterized by standardized message formats and communication protocols. However, to meet constantly evolving operational needs, data links with different functions, technical characteristics, and higher performance are continuously designed and developed. Since data link upgrades are a lengthy process, the coexistence of old and new data links will persist for a long time. On the other hand, each type of data link is designed for specific operational needs and combat platforms, possessing a certain degree of irreplaceability; therefore, multiple data links need to coexist. These data links are developed by different services, using different protocols, communication links, or waveforms, thus hindering interoperability between different platforms. Therefore, to achieve interoperability between air combat platforms using different types of data links and their heterogeneous electronic systems, foreign militaries typically use gateway systems. The gateway system connects to multiple heterogeneous data links, thereby enabling interconnection and interoperability between air combat platforms equipped with heterogeneous data links. Therefore, the main problem to be solved for message exchange between different platforms remains the content conversion of interoperability command messages.

[0006] Therefore, achieving interoperability between heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation mainly addresses heterogeneity at two levels by converting or translating control command messages. Current main solutions rely on ICD (Integrated Device Code) and directly convert message formats within the software code. The main problem is that when message format standards change or new messages are added, the code needs to be modified and recompiled, resulting in significant manpower and time consumption. Even with automatic code generation technology reducing coding work, code recompilation and program upgrades are still required, leading to low overall integration efficiency. Therefore, new methods are needed to achieve more efficient and maintainable interoperability between heterogeneous electronic systems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problems existing in the prior art, a method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation is provided. This method generates interoperability information support files based on interface control documents (ICDs) and realizes interoperability capabilities through general airborne software, thereby improving the efficiency of interoperability implementation and enhancing functional maintainability.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A method for interoperability of heterogeneous aviation electronic systems, comprising:

[0009] Step 1: Edit the interface control file according to the composition of the heterogeneous electronic system;

[0010] Step 2: Combine the interface control file to configure the interoperability relationship between input and output messages, and generate an interoperability information support file;

[0011] Step 3: Transfer the generated interoperability information support file to the onboard storage.

[0012] Step 4: The onboard interoperability software reads the interoperability information support file from the memory, parses and converts the received input message, and then outputs it to achieve interoperability.

[0013] Furthermore, in step 1, the interface control file editing method is as follows: the control command messages of the heterogeneous electronic system and the control command message formats transmitted through the data link are edited respectively, and output in XML format.

[0014] Furthermore, the interface control file includes a message ID that serves as a unique identifier for each message. Each message defines the number of signals and the identifier, name, type, start word, start bit, bit width, and precision element of each signal; the type includes both integer and enumeration types.

[0015] Furthermore, when the type is enumeration, the enumeration values ​​and their meanings are defined.

[0016] Furthermore, the specific process of step 2 is as follows: matching the elements of the internal operation instruction messages of the heterogeneous electronic system and the control instruction messages transmitted through the data link, determining the conversion relationship between the elements in the input message and the output message, and generating an interoperability information support file.

[0017] Furthermore, the element matching process is as follows: during element matching, the elements of the input and output messages are not completely matched; for the matched signals in the message, an index matching relationship between the input and output is established; if the signal type is enumeration type, the enumeration values ​​of the input signal and the output signal need to be matched; for the unmatched signals in the message, if the output signal fails to match the input signal, an invalid value or a default value is filled in.

[0018] Furthermore, the interoperability information support file includes input information and output information; the input information defines all input message-related parsing information that needs to be processed; the output information defines all possible output message-related packet information and the conversion relationship between input messages and output messages.

[0019] Furthermore, in step 3, the interoperability information support file is transferred using either offline or online transmission; offline transmission involves transferring the file by copying it on the ground; and online transmission involves transferring the file using a data link.

[0020] Furthermore, the specific sub-steps of step 4 are as follows:

[0021] Step 4.1: During initialization, the airborne interoperability software reads the interoperability information file and saves it to a local data structure.

[0022] Step 4.2: After receiving the input message, cache it locally;

[0023] Step 4.3: Parse the input message ID and match the output message according to the interoperability information support file;

[0024] Step 4.4: Based on the correlation between the input message and the interoperability information support file, process each signal in the output message sequentially;

[0025] Step 4.5: After all signal processing is completed, the airborne interoperability software sends the output message packets.

[0026] Furthermore, the specific sub-steps of step 4.4 are as follows:

[0027] Step 4.4.1: Locate the corresponding input information index according to the interoperability support document;

[0028] Step 4.4.2: For integer signals, first calculate the input signal value based on the signal start word, start bit, and bit width. Then multiply by the precision to obtain the actual physical value of the corresponding input signal. Then perform four arithmetic operations. Finally, divide by the precision of the output signal to obtain the output value. Then fill the output array of the corresponding signal of the output message according to the bit width.

[0029] Step 4.4.3: For enumerated signals, first calculate the input signal enumeration value based on the signal start word, start bit, and bit width. Then, find the matching output enumeration value based on the correspondence between the input and output enumeration values. Finally, fill the output array of the corresponding signal of the output message according to the bit width.

[0030] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are as follows:

[0031] (1) Based on the Interface Control File (ICD), the input and output elements of the interoperability instruction message are matched efficiently and accurately; at the same time, the legality of the processing and conversion operations of data elements in the interoperability instruction message can be checked and constrained, effectively avoiding errors that may occur during manual editing.

[0032] (2) By using interoperability information support files and re-importing them through interoperability modeling software, the interoperability scheme can be edited twice and incrementally, improving maintainability;

[0033] (3) The airborne interoperability software does not need to be modified with the interoperability content upgrade, which improves the integration efficiency; at the same time, it can realize the interoperability in-flight upgrade capability through online upgrade. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the method for implementing interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems proposed in this invention.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the interoperability software workflow in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar modules or modules having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. Rather, the embodiments of this application include all variations, modifications, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0037] See Figure 1 This embodiment proposes a method for interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation, mainly applied in combat platforms equipped with heterogeneous electronic systems, including:

[0038] Step 1: Edit the interface control file according to the composition of the heterogeneous electronic system;

[0039] Step 2: Combine the interface control file to configure the interoperability relationship between input and output messages, and generate an interoperability information support file;

[0040] Step 3: Transfer the generated interoperability information support file to the onboard storage.

[0041] Step 4: The onboard interoperability software reads the interoperability information support file from the memory, parses and converts the received input message, and then outputs it to achieve interoperability.

[0042] In this embodiment, the control command messages for the electronic systems within the combat platform and the control command messages transmitted via the data link need to be edited separately in the combat platform equipped with heterogeneous electronic systems, and output in XML format to form an interface control file (hereinafter referred to as ICD).

[0043] It should be noted that the avionics or communication subsystems of air combat platforms all employ ICD (Integrated Device Detection) software tools, providing a graphical interface for editing and exporting ICDs. In this embodiment, all software used are existing general-purpose airborne software, and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0044] In the ICD edited in this embodiment, a message ID is defined as the unique identifier of the message. Each message defines the number of signals and the identifier, name, type, start word, start bit, bit width, and precision element of each signal; the type includes two types: integer and enumeration. Furthermore, when the type is enumeration, this embodiment also defines the enumeration value and its meaning.

[0045] In the definition of ICD, attention must be paid to the compatibility of elements in the control commands for electronic systems within the air tactical platform and in the interoperability commands transmitted via data links. Elements that play a critical role in interoperability should be covered in both intra-platform and inter-platform command messages.

[0046] This ICD allows us to analyze the true physical value of an integer signal or the representative meaning of an enumerated signal.

[0047] After determining the ICD, it is necessary to configure the interoperability relationship between input messages and output messages. In this embodiment, the main task is to match the elements of the operation instruction messages inside the heterogeneous electronic system and the control instruction messages transmitted through the data link, determine the conversion relationship between the elements in the input messages and output messages, and generate an interoperability information support file.

[0048] When generating interoperability information support files, it is necessary to support the establishment of conversion relationships between input and output signals of both integer and enumeration types, and to provide a clear and machine-readable interoperability information support file format.

[0049] In practical applications, the elements of the input and output messages are not completely matched, so special processing is required. In this embodiment, for the matching signals in the messages, an index matching relationship between the input and output is established. Specifically, since the units of the same physical quantity may be different in the input and output messages, it is allowed to obtain the output value by performing arithmetic operations by superimposing a constant on the input value. If the signal type is enumeration type, the enumeration values ​​of the input signal and the output signal need to be matched.

[0050] For signals that do not match in the message, if the output signal cannot match the input signal, then an invalid value or a default value should be entered.

[0051] In this embodiment, to improve editing efficiency, a general-purpose interoperability modeling tool software is used for file editing. This software employs a graphical interface and automatically generates interface controls based on ICD (Interactive Design Code) to achieve rapid matching of input and output elements. It also verifies the legality of input and output signals and conversion relationships. The interoperability modeling tool software supports secondary import of interoperability information support files to enable incremental and secondary editing, thereby improving maintainability.

[0052] In this embodiment, the interoperability information support file includes input information and output information; the input information defines all input message-related parsing information that needs to be processed; the output information defines all possible output message-related packet information and the conversion relationship between input messages and output messages.

[0053] Table 1 below shows the hierarchical structure and element composition of the interoperability information support file proposed in this embodiment:

[0054] Table 1. Interoperability Information Support File Structure Hierarchy and Element Composition

[0055]

[0056]

[0057] The input information includes:

[0058] 1) Message layer: Message ID, number of signals in the message;

[0059] 2) Signal layer: Signal index, type (integer / enumeration), start word, start bit, bit width, and precision.

[0060] The output information includes:

[0061] 1) Message layer: Message ID, corresponding input message ID, number of signals in the message;

[0062] 2) Signal layer: Signal index, type (integer / enumeration), corresponding input signal index, precision, bit width, operator type, superposition constant, enumeration count (not 0 only when the signal type is enumeration);

[0063] 3) Enumeration layer (only when the signal type is enumeration): enumeration value, corresponding input enumeration value.

[0064] In this embodiment, the output interoperability information support file can be in a structured form such as an XML file, or it can be in the form of custom text, in order to reduce memory overhead and encrypt the message conversion information.

[0065] Furthermore, this embodiment proposes two methods for transmitting interoperability information support files: offline transmission and online transmission.

[0066] Offline transmission: conducted on the ground, using methods such as file copying or transfer. Online transmission: transferring files to onboard storage via data link or other means during flight, enabling interoperable in-flight experiments and verifications.

[0067] After receiving the interoperability information support file, the airborne heterogeneous electronic system mainly uses general airborne interoperability software to realize the interoperability function.

[0068] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, the airborne interoperability software, based on the interoperability information support file, processes each element in the output message one by one. Specifically, it locates and parses relevant information in the corresponding input message according to the conversion relationship, calculates the output value, fills in the output message content, and sends it, thus completing the translation and conversion of the interoperability command message. The specific process is as follows:

[0069] Step 4.1: During initialization, the airborne interoperability software reads the interoperability information file and saves it to a local data structure.

[0070] Step 4.2: After receiving the input message, cache it locally;

[0071] Step 4.3: Parse the input message ID and match the output message according to the interoperability information support file;

[0072] Step 4.4: Based on the correlation between the input message and the interoperability information support file, process each signal in the output message sequentially;

[0073] Step 4.5: After all signal processing is completed, the airborne interoperability software sends the output message packets.

[0074] In this embodiment, the process of step 4.4 is further explained:

[0075] Step 4.4.1: Locate the corresponding input information index according to the interoperability support document;

[0076] Step 4.4.2: For integer signals, first calculate the input signal value based on the signal start word, start bit, and bit width. Then multiply by the precision to obtain the actual physical value of the corresponding input signal. Then perform four arithmetic operations. Finally, divide by the precision of the output signal to obtain the output value. Then fill the output array of the corresponding signal of the output message according to the bit width.

[0077] Step 4.4.3: For enumerated signals, first calculate the input signal enumeration value based on the signal start word, start bit, and bit width. Then, find the matching output enumeration value based on the correspondence between the input and output enumeration values. Finally, fill the output array of the corresponding signal of the output message according to the bit width.

[0078] The interoperability implementation method for heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation proposed in this embodiment does not require modification of the airborne interoperability software. It facilitates rapid upgrades through interoperability information support files, which helps improve development and integration efficiency.

[0079] It should be noted that, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances. The accompanying drawings in the embodiments are used to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0080] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation, characterized in that, include: Step 1: Edit the interface control file according to the composition of the heterogeneous electronic system; Step 2: Combine the interface control file to configure the interoperability relationship between input and output messages, and generate an interoperability information support file; Step 3: Transfer the generated interoperability information support file to the onboard storage. Step 4: The onboard interoperability software reads the interoperability information support file in the memory, and after receiving the input message, it performs message parsing and conversion before outputting the message to achieve interoperability capability. The specific process of step 2 is as follows: matching the elements of the internal operation instruction messages of the heterogeneous electronic system and the control instruction messages transmitted through the data link, determining the conversion relationship between the elements in the input message and the output message, and generating an interoperability information support file; The interoperability information support file includes input information and output information; the input information defines the parsing information related to all input messages that need to be processed. The output information defines all possible output message related packet information and the conversion relationship between input messages and output messages.

2. The method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 1, the interface control file editing method is as follows: the control command messages of the heterogeneous electronic system and the control command message formats transmitted through the data link are edited respectively, and output in XML format.

3. The method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous aviation electronic systems according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The interface control file includes a message ID that serves as a unique identifier for each message. Each message defines the number of signals and the identifier, name, type, start word, start bit, bit width, and precision element of each signal. The types include both integer and enumeration types.

4. The method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the type is enumeration, the enumeration values ​​and their meanings are defined.

5. The method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous aviation electronic systems according to claim 1, characterized in that, The element matching process is as follows: When performing element matching, the elements of the input and output messages are not completely matched; for the matched signals in the message, an index matching relationship between the input and output is established. If the signal type is enumeration, the enumeration values ​​of the input signal and the output signal need to be matched; for the unmatched signals in the message, if the output signal fails to match the input signal, an invalid value or a default value is filled in.

6. The method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step 3, the interoperability information support file is transferred using either offline or online transmission. Offline transmission involves transferring the file by copying it on the ground, while online transmission involves transferring the file using a data link.

7. The method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous electronic systems in aviation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The specific sub-steps of step 4 are as follows: Step 4.1: During initialization, the airborne interoperability software reads the interoperability information file and saves it to a local data structure. Step 4.2: After receiving the input message, cache it locally; Step 4.3: Parse the input message ID and match the output message according to the interoperability information support file; Step 4.4: Based on the correlation between the input message and the interoperability information support file, process each signal in the output message sequentially; Step 4.5: After all signal processing is completed, the airborne interoperability software sends the output message packets.

8. The method for achieving interoperability of heterogeneous aviation electronic systems according to claim 7, characterized in that, The specific sub-steps of step 4.4 are as follows: Step 4.4.1: Locate the corresponding input information index according to the interoperability support document; Step 4.4.2: For integer signals, first calculate the input signal value based on the signal start word, start bit, and bit width. Then multiply by the precision to obtain the actual physical value of the corresponding input signal. Then perform four arithmetic operations. Finally, divide by the precision of the output signal to obtain the output value. Then fill the output array of the corresponding signal of the output message according to the bit width. Step 4.4.3: For enumerated signals, first calculate the input signal enumeration value based on the signal start word, start bit, and bit width. Then, find the matching output enumeration value based on the correspondence between the input and output enumeration values. Finally, fill the output array of the corresponding signal of the output message according to the bit width.

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