A design method for agile display control mechanism implemented on a trainer aircraft

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of avionics system design and relates to a design method for an agile display control mechanism implemented on a trainer aircraft. This design is based on an agile display control system, which includes seven layers: a physical layer, a communication link layer, a window management layer, a graphics output layer, a protocol layer, a data interface module, and a screen display module. The agile display control mechanism completely separates the screen display logic from the display software and creatively incorporates the control logic into PDF files, revolutionizing the design of traditional display control systems. This innovation not only greatly improves the adaptability of the display software but also significantly reduces the amount of maintenance required for the software due to changing requirements, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of software development.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of avionics system design and relates to a design method of an agile display control mechanism implemented on a trainer aircraft. Background Art

[0002] A certain type of training aircraft currently uses a Smart display mechanism. This mechanism creates a PDF library containing all basic display elements. The training flight software (OFP) in the resident display and control processor (BC) controls the visibility, color, and image scheduling of all graphic elements on the multifunction display. At the same time, the BC, as the core of the entire avionics system, is also responsible for collecting all information and status of each avionics subsystem. This approach brings two problems:

[0003] The code volume for implementing display, control, and scheduling functions in the OFP software code accounts for approximately 60%. During the R&D process, a large amount of software code debugging work is required, resulting in a long work cycle. The software also has many bugs that are difficult to locate. Once a problem occurs, troubleshooting takes a long time and is difficult to locate quickly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Purpose of the Invention

[0005] The agile display control mechanism aims to provide a more efficient display and control design solution, which summarizes aviation display elements and control logic and encapsulates them into general text instructions, which can be used to write script files.

[0006] Technical Solution

[0007] A control method for an agile display control mechanism implemented on a trainer aircraft is implemented based on an agile display control machine system. The agile display control machine system includes seven layers: a physical layer, a communication link layer, a window management layer, a graphics output layer, a protocol layer, a data interface module, and a screen display module.

[0008] The steps for agile display control are as follows:

[0009] 1) The user writes a PDF file based on the instruction format defined in the PDF instruction set. The PDF file consists of two parts: a configuration file and a script file. The configuration file defines in detail how the system stores bus data (such as storage format and location) and the configuration of the alarm library (such as alarm type and level). The script file includes all display screens and is composed of drawing instructions and logic instructions. Drawing instructions include the display symbols on the screen, and logic instructions include state control instructions, screen switching instructions, and key trigger instructions.

[0010] 2) When the multi-function display (MFD) starts up, it loads the PDF file from the non-volatile memory FLASH, verifies the integrity of the PDF file, parses the configuration file to set internal variables and data structures, and generates the initial display interface based on the default screen script;

[0011] 3) The display and control processor BC sends the collected aircraft system data and system status to the multi-function display MFD;

[0012] 4) The multi-function display (MFD) reads bus data and caches the data according to the bus data storage configuration. It also identifies user peripheral key presses and generates corresponding key events.

[0013] 5) The multi-function display MFD parses the script file. When a key event or a bus data status change is detected:

[0014] MFD recognizes the screen switching instructions in the script file and performs screen jumps;

[0015] MFD sends specific data to other systems or display components by identifying data sending instructions in the script file;

[0016] MFD modifies the state of drawing elements, such as color, blinking, show / hide, etc., by identifying state control instructions in script files.

[0017] 6) BC receives the status and request data fed back by MFD and modifies the system status.

[0018] PDF file processing process see Figure 3 This process is a general process for agile display control of PDF files. It represents the various links and their interrelationships of the entire agile display control process of PDF files. It mainly realizes the management of PDF files, intermediate status and alarm processing, and PDF file instruction parsing.

[0019] Furthermore, the display symbols in step 1 are specifically text, numerical values, and dials: text refers to various text information displayed on the screen, numerical values ​​refer to various data displays of the aircraft system, and dials refer to the sky, the globe, the compass, and various instrument displays.

[0020] Furthermore, the aircraft system data specifically includes: inertial navigation system, atmospheric system, flight control system, power system, etc.

[0021] Furthermore, the aircraft system status specifically includes: navigation mode, air-to-air mode, air-to-ground mode, embedded training mode, etc.

[0022] Furthermore, the physical layer, as the lowest layer, contains modules directly related to the hardware. The physical layer provides basic hardware support for the communication link layer, ensuring the physical transmission of data. The communication link layer provides reliable communication services between the display and the BC (or other control unit). Based on the hardware interface provided by the physical layer, the communication link layer establishes and maintains the communication connection, ensuring the accurate transmission of data and providing a foundation for the protocol layer. The window management layer is directly related to the underlying hardware and is responsible for managing the display and layout of windows. The window management layer receives graphic signals from the graphics output layer and adjusts the display position and size of the window according to the physical characteristics of the display and user settings to ensure the correct display and layout of the image. The graphics output layer relies on cross-platform features such as OpenGL to achieve consistent display effects on different platforms. The graphics output layer uses graphics libraries such as OpenGL to convert processed data into graphic signals, ensuring that PDF files have consistent display effects on different platforms, thereby enhancing the platform versatility of the file. The protocol layer communicates with the BC according to a specific communication protocol (such as 1553B, HB6096, etc.). The protocol layer parses and encapsulates communication data, ensuring that the format and content of the data meet the protocol requirements, and provides accurate and reliable data to the data interface layer. The data interface module relies on the communication interface of the platform to realize the sending and receiving processing of buffer data. The data interface module interacts with the protocol layer, receives data from BC, and formats and processes it according to the definition in the PDF file to ensure the correctness and consistency of the data. At the same time, it is also responsible for sending the status and data of the display back to BC. The screen display module is responsible for screen management and instruction parsing. The screen display module realizes flexible control of the display content through functions such as partition management, event table management, alarm library management and instruction parsing processing. The newly added logical control is judged by the display and the corresponding drawing is performed, which reduces the logical calculation burden of BC. At the same time, through modular programming, common display elements and logic are made into modules, which simplifies the programming and troubleshooting process. The beneficial effects of this application are:

[0023] The agile display control mechanism completely separates the display logic from the display software and creatively integrates the control logic into the PDF file, revolutionizing the design of traditional display control systems. This innovation not only greatly improves the adaptability of the display software but also significantly reduces the amount of maintenance required due to changing requirements, thereby significantly improving software development efficiency. Specifically, this technology offers the following significant benefits and advantages over existing technologies:

[0024] 1) High Adaptability: By encapsulating display logic in editable PDF files, the system can easily adapt to complex changes in display requirements without requiring frequent modifications to the underlying software. This high degree of flexibility enables the system to quickly adapt to the diverse needs of different industries and application scenarios.

[0025] 2) Reduce maintenance costs: Traditional display and control systems often require extensive code modification and testing when faced with changing requirements. The agile display control mechanism, however, can update display logic simply by modifying PDF files, significantly reducing maintenance costs and time.

[0026] 3) Improved development efficiency: Developers can focus on implementing core functionality while delegating display logic customization to non-technical professionals, such as UI designers or domain experts. This division of labor and collaboration not only speeds up development but also improves overall software quality.

[0027] 4) Simplified deployment and upgrades: Since the display logic is separated from the software, system deployment and upgrades become simpler and faster. Simply replace or update the PDF file to achieve rapid iteration of the display interface, without recompiling and reinstalling the entire system.

[0028] 5) Addressing Industry Pain Points: The complexity and diversity of display and control systems in fields such as industrial automation, aerospace, and transportation pose significant challenges to software development. The emergence of agile display control mechanisms provides these industries with an efficient and flexible solution, effectively addressing the pain point of traditional display and control systems, which struggle to adapt to rapidly changing demands.

[0029] Furthermore, this technology further expands the boundaries of technology. By introducing the traditional document format of PDF files into display and control systems, it achieves a deep integration of documents and software, providing new ideas and possibilities for future software development and display and control system design. This cross-disciplinary integration and innovation not only promotes the development of display and control technology, but also provides valuable insights and inspiration for innovation in other related fields. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 Agile display control mechanism hierarchy diagram;

[0031] Figure 2 Agile display control processing flow;

[0032] Figure 3 PDF file processing process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the implementation of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention. In the examples, the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar originals or elements with the same or similar functions. The described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The embodiments described below by reference are illustrative and intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be understood as limiting the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. The following is a detailed description in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] The agile display control mechanism aims to provide a more efficient display and control design solution. It organizes aviation display elements and control logic into universal text instructions, allowing for the creation of script files (such as PFD.c, SYS.c, and TSD.c). Each script file corresponds to the display of a functional module. For example, PFD.c primarily stores the graphical display instructions and control logic for the pilot screen, SYS.c stores the graphical display instructions and control logic for the system screen, and TSD.c stores the graphical display instructions and control logic for the situation screen. In addition, there are numerous .c files written for each function. This division of the entire system into multiple .c files for display and control not only gives developers a clear understanding of the entire system but also enables quick identification of bugs in specific functions. Furthermore, a new Module.h file has been added to complement the .c files for display and control. This .h file stores the same display elements or display control logic used in some functional screens. The .c files simply import and use the module number in Modulee.h, reducing duplication of code for display. Then the script file and related configuration files (Declare.h, Draw.h, Warn.h, etc.) together form a PDF file, which defines the display screen layout and control logic. Finally, the display software completes display control and graphic output by sequentially executing the PDF files.

[0035] The agile display control mechanism leverages the cross-platform nature of OpenGL and is compatible with all display terminals using OpenGL / ES / SC libraries. First, simulations can be easily performed on a PC, and the designed PDF files can be used directly on real products without modification. Second, screen design is more convenient, and the display effects are more realistic. Finally, display screen design can be carried out by compiling PDF files even before hardware design is completed, shortening the development cycle.

[0036] The main hierarchical structure of the agile display control mechanism is shown in Figure 1 .

[0037] Among them, the window management layer is directly related to the underlying hardware.

[0038] The graphics output layer mainly relies on the cross-platform characteristics of OpenGL to achieve consistent display effects on different platforms, making PDF files platform-universal.

[0039] The display control layer includes the following two modules:

[0040] 1) The screen display module is platform-independent and mainly includes screen management and instruction parsing, completing partition management, event table management, alarm library management, and instruction parsing. Instruction parsing adds logic control. The original logic control is executed by BC, which then controls the display drawing. The existing logic control is judged by the display and performs corresponding drawing, reducing the logical calculation of BC. In addition, screen management adds partition management. The original screens were all written in a .c file, which contained a lot of redundant code and was troublesome to troubleshoot. The entire display system is now divided and then split into .c files according to function for code writing. Some common display elements and logic are made into modules and put into the Module.h file for corresponding import and use. This greatly simplifies programming, troubleshooting, and makes the system structure clear.

[0041] 2) The data interface module relies on the platform's communication interface to implement the sending and receiving of buffer data. The sending and receiving format must be consistent with the definition in the PDF file.

[0042] This embodiment provides a control method for an agile display control mechanism for a certain type of trainer aircraft avionics system. The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0043] Agile display control mainly utilizes the Smart display control mechanism of multi-function displays to summarize display elements and control logic and encapsulate them into a universal PDF text instruction set, thereby removing the tight coupling relationship between the existing display control machine and the display. It has the following functions:

[0044] 1) Able to receive parameters and status data from each aircraft subsystem and display them autonomously;

[0045] 2) Modular instruction set with offline editing function;

[0046] 3) PDF file display instructions have logic control capabilities;

[0047] 4) Display logic can be verified in a simple dynamic simulation environment.

[0048] See the Agile Display Control Processing Flow Figure 2,This process is the main loop process of PDF parsing, which is executed in the order of data ,receiving - screen display - data sending, including reading data from the ,dual-port circular queue to the cache, completing PDF instruction parsing, and ,finally outputting control data to the dual-port circular queue.

[0049] The steps for agile display control are as follows:

[0050] 1) Users write PDF files according to the instruction format defined in the document "PDF New Architecture Instruction Set". The configuration file includes bus data storage configuration, alarm library configuration, etc., and the script file includes all display screens. The script file consists of drawing instructions and logic instructions. Drawing instructions include display symbols on the screen, such as text, values, and dials. Logic instructions include state control instructions, screen switching instructions, key trigger instructions, etc.

[0051] 2) After the MFD is started, it loads the PDF file from the FLASH, reads the bus data storage configuration of the PDF file, stores the alarm library, and starts parsing the script file from the default screen to generate the display screen;

[0052] 3) BC sends the collected system data and system status to MFD;

[0053] 4) The MFD reads bus data and caches the data according to the bus data storage configuration. It also identifies the user's peripheral key presses and generates corresponding key events.

[0054] 5) MFD parses the script file. When a key event or bus data status change is detected:

[0055] MFD recognizes the screen switching instructions in the script file and performs screen jumps;

[0056] MFD sends instructions by identifying the data in the script file and sends data;

[0057] MFD adjusts the color, flashing, visibility, and other states of the drawing instructions by identifying the status control instructions in the script file.

[0058] 6) BC receives the status and request data fed back by MFD and modifies the system status.

[0059] PDF file processing process see Figure 3 This process is a general process for agile display control of PDF files, which mainly realizes the management of PDF files, intermediate status and alarm processing, and PDF file instruction parsing.

[0060] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with those in the context of the prior art, and unless defined as such, they will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense. The specific embodiments described above further describe the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention in detail. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Within the spirit and principles of the present invention, any person skilled in the art may use the technical content disclosed above to change or modify it into an equivalent embodiment of an equivalent change and apply it to other fields. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention, any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for an agile display control mechanism implemented on a trainer aircraft, characterized in that: It is implemented based on an agile display controller system, which includes seven layers: physical layer, communication link layer, window management layer, graphics output layer, protocol layer, data interface module, and screen display module. The steps for agile display control are as follows: 1) The user writes a PDF file based on the instruction format defined in the PDF instruction set. The PDF file consists of two parts: a configuration file and a script file. The configuration file defines in detail how the system stores bus data and configures the alarm library. The script file includes all display screens and consists of drawing instructions and logic instructions. Drawing instructions include display symbols on the screen, and logic instructions include state control instructions, screen switching instructions, and key trigger instructions. 2) When the multi-function display (MFD) starts up, it loads the PDF file from the non-volatile memory FLASH, verifies the integrity of the PDF file, parses the configuration file to set internal variables and data structures, and generates the initial display interface based on the default screen script; 3) The display and control processor BC sends the collected aircraft system data and system status to the multi-function display MFD; 4) The multi-function display (MFD) reads bus data and caches the data according to the bus data storage configuration. It also identifies user peripheral key presses and generates corresponding key events. 5) The multi-function display MFD parses the script file. When a key event or a bus data status change is detected: MFD recognizes the screen switching instructions in the script file and performs screen jumps; MFD sends specific data to other systems or display components by identifying data sending instructions in the script file; MFD modifies the state of drawing elements, such as color, blinking, and display / hide, by identifying the state control instructions in the script file; 6) BC receives the status and request data fed back by MFD and modifies the system status; The PDF file processing process is a general process for agile display control of PDF files. It represents the various links and their interrelationships of the entire PDF file agile display control process. It mainly implements PDF file management, intermediate status and alarm processing, and PDF file instruction parsing.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The display symbols in 1) are specifically text, numerical values, and dials: text refers to various text information displayed on the screen, numerical values ​​refer to various data displayed by the aircraft system, and dials refer to the sky, the globe, the compass, and various instrument displays.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein: The aircraft system data specifically includes: inertial navigation system, atmospheric system, flight control system, and power system.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein: The aircraft system states specifically include: navigation mode, air-to-air mode, air-to-ground mode, and embedded training mode.

5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein: The physical layer, as the lowest layer, includes modules directly related to hardware. The physical layer provides basic hardware support for the communication link layer to ensure the physical transmission of data.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein: The communication link layer provides reliable communication services between the display and the BC. Based on the hardware interface provided by the physical layer, the communication link layer establishes and maintains the communication connection to ensure accurate data transmission and provide a foundation for the protocol layer.

7. The control method according to claim 6, wherein: The window management layer is directly related to the underlying hardware and is responsible for managing the display and layout of windows. The window management layer receives graphic signals from the graphics output layer and adjusts the display position and size of the window according to the physical characteristics of the display and user settings to ensure the correct display and layout of the image.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein: The graphics output layer relies on the cross-platform characteristics of OpenGL to achieve consistent display effects on different platforms. The graphics output layer uses the OpenGL graphics library to convert processed data into graphic signals, ensuring that PDF files have consistent display effects on different platforms, thereby enhancing the platform versatility of the files.

9. The control method according to claim 8, wherein: The protocol layer communicates with the BC according to a specific communication protocol. The protocol layer parses and encapsulates communication data to ensure that the format and content of the data meet the protocol requirements and provide accurate and reliable data for the data interface layer.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein: The data interface module relies on the platform's communication interface to implement the sending and receiving of buffer data. The data interface module interacts with the protocol layer, receives data from the BC, and formats and processes it according to the definition in the PDF file to ensure the correctness and consistency of the data. At the same time, it is also responsible for sending the status and data of the display back to the BC. The screen display module is responsible for screen management and instruction parsing. The screen display module realizes flexible control of display content through partition management, event table management, alarm library management and instruction parsing processing functions.

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