Interface switching method for aero-engine test

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of aero-engine tests, in particular to an interface switching method for an aero-engine test. The method comprises the following steps: S1, formulating a function overall framework of the interface switching test device according to test requirements; s2, based on the function requirements of the interface switching test device, performing software and hardware trial production of the interface switching test device; s3, defining an interface relationship between the interface switching test device and other systems; s4, testing the interface switching test device for a long time, and optimizing the interface switching test device according to a test problem; and S5, connecting the interface switching test device to an aircraft / test bed and engine test network for debugging, and if the debugging is successful, entering a corresponding aero-engine test. According to the invention, compatibility and interconnection between different test benches and the engine can be realized, the test efficiency and quality are improved, the cost of transforming a communication protocol between the test bench and the engine is reduced, and the input-output ratio is more reasonable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aero-engine test communication, and more specifically, to an interface conversion method and an interface conversion test device for aero-engine tests. Background Art

[0002] An aero-engine is the most high-end product in the equipment manufacturing field, representing a country's scientific and technological level and comprehensive national strength. It not only requires advanced design concepts and manufacturing processes, but also needs to undergo a large number of test verifications to ensure the performance, reliability and safety of the engine.

[0003] However, developing an aero-engine requires a large number of tests on core engines, complete engines, altitude test stands, open-air test stands and flight test stands, etc. During the test process, test personnel need to closely monitor various state parameters of the engine through data communication to ensure safety. However, there are many inconsistencies in the communication protocol definitions between current various test stands and the engine, resulting in too high costs for modifying the communication protocol between the test stand and the engine.

[0004] During the aero-engine test process, test personnel need to monitor thousands of engine state parameters on site and perform real-time control on the engine. However, there are many inconsistencies in the communication protocol definitions between current various test stands and the engine, resulting in a great impact on test efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, it is particularly urgent to study an interface conversion method applicable to aero-engine tests. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an interface conversion method and an interface conversion test device for aero-engine tests, so as to solve the problem of inconsistent communication interfaces in the aero-engine tests of the prior art.

[0007] Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an interface conversion method and an interface conversion test device for aero-engine tests, so as to solve the problem that the communication protocol interfaces of the prior art test equipment are not suitable for aero-engine tests.

[0008] To achieve the above purposes, the present invention provides an interface conversion method for aero-engine tests, including the following steps:

[0009] Step S1: According to the test requirements, formulate the overall functional architecture of the interface conversion test device;

[0010] Step S2: Based on the functional requirements of the interface conversion test device, conduct software and hardware trial production of the interface conversion test device;

[0011] Step S3: Define the interface relationship between the interface conversion test device and other systems;

[0012] Step S4: Conduct long-term testing on the interface transfer test device and optimize the interface transfer test device according to the test problems.

[0013] Step S5: Connect the interface transfer test device to the aircraft / test stand and the engine test network for debugging. If the debugging is successful, proceed to the corresponding aero-engine test.

[0014] In one embodiment, the overall functional architecture of the interface transfer test device in step S1 includes an engineering management module, an operation control module, a communication forwarding module, and a data recording module:

[0015] The engineering management module uniformly manages test configuration items in the form of engineering files.

[0016] The operation control module is used for operation control and health status monitoring.

[0017] The communication forwarding module is used to forward data between the test bench data and the controller device bus data.

[0018] The data recording module is used to record and save test data during the test process.

[0019] In one embodiment, the test bench data type is UDP data, and the controller device bus data types include Ethernet, ARINC664 bus type, ARINC429 bus type, and RS422 bus type.

[0020] In one embodiment, the software and hardware trial production in step S2 further includes: selection of a portable industrial computer, selection of an Ethernet card and a bus communication network card, and software architecture design.

[0021] In one embodiment, step S3 further includes:

[0022] Defining the interface relationships between the interface transfer test device and the aircraft / test stand, RS422 communication controller, ARINC664 communication controller, and ARINC429 communication controller.

[0023] In one embodiment, the long-term testing in step S4 includes hardware-in-the-loop test.

[0024] In one embodiment, the test problems in step S4 include data transmission function crash problems, serious frame loss problems in test data saving, and abnormal increase in test data saving space.

[0025] In one embodiment, connecting the interface transfer test device to the aircraft / test stand and the engine test network for debugging in step S5 further includes:

[0026] Connect the interface transfer test device to the aircraft / test stand and the engine test network to conduct non-ignition tests on the engine.

[0027] In one embodiment, step S5 further includes:

[0028] If the non-ignition test of the engine fails, return to step S1.

[0029] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an interface transfer test device for aero-engine tests, characterized in that it is made by using the interface transfer method for aero-engine tests as described above.

[0030] The interface transfer method and interface transfer test device for aero-engine tests provided by the present invention can achieve compatibility and interconnection between different test stands and engines, make the test process smoother, improve test efficiency and quality. At the same time, it can also reduce the cost of modifying the communication protocols of the test stand and the engine, making the input-output ratio more reasonable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The above and other features, properties, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments, in which like reference numerals always represent the same features, where:

[0032] Figure 1 Discloses a flowchart of the steps of an interface transfer method for aero-engine tests according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 Discloses a functional architecture diagram of an interface transfer test device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 Discloses an interface relationship diagram of an interface transfer test device according to an embodiment of the present invention and other systems;

[0035] Figure 4 Discloses a hardware-in-the-loop test architecture diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] The meanings of the reference numerals in the drawings are as follows:

[0037] 100 Aircraft / test stand;

[0038] 101 UDP receiving module;

[0039] 200 Interface transfer test device;

[0040] 311 First communication controller;

[0041] 312 First monitoring computer;

[0042] 321 Second communication controller;

[0043] 322 Second monitoring computer;

[0044] 331 Third communication controller;

[0045] 332 Third monitoring computer;

[0046] 341 Fourth communication controller;

[0047] 342 Fourth monitoring computer. Detailed implementation manners

[0048] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer and more understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the invention and are not used to limit the invention.

[0049] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a unique interface conversion method for aero-engine tests and an interface conversion test device. The interface conversion test device developed according to this interface conversion scheme has an Ethernet interface / ARINC664 bus interface / ARINC429 bus interface / RS422 interface, and can communicate with other devices through the Ethernet / ARINC664 bus interface / ARINC429 bus interface / RS422 interface, providing an effective way to quickly solve the problem of inconsistent communication protocols between the test bench and the engine. This method can achieve compatibility and interoperability between different test benches and engines, making the test process smoother, improving the test efficiency and quality. At the same time, it can also reduce the cost of modifying the communication protocols of the test bench and the engine, making the input-output ratio more reasonable.

[0050] Figure 1 Discloses a step diagram of an interface conversion method for aero-engine tests according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 1 shown, an interface conversion method for aero-engine tests proposed by the present invention includes the following steps:

[0051] Step S1: According to the test requirements, formulate the overall functional architecture of the interface conversion test device;

[0052] Step S2: Based on the functional requirements of the interface conversion test device, conduct software and hardware development of the interface conversion test device;

[0053] Step S3: Define the interface relationship between the interface conversion test device and other systems;

[0054] Step S4: Conduct long-term testing on the interface conversion test device, and optimize the interface conversion test device according to the test problems;

[0055] Step S5: Connect the interface transfer test device to the aircraft / test stand and the engine test network for debugging. If the debugging is successful, proceed to the corresponding aero-engine test.

[0056] These steps will be described in detail below. It should be understood that within the scope of the present invention, the above-mentioned technical features of the present invention and the technical features specifically described below (such as in the embodiments) can be combined with each other and correlated with each other to form a preferred technical solution.

[0057] Step S1: According to the test requirements, formulate the overall functional architecture of the interface transfer test device.

[0058] According to the requirements of various aero-engine tests, formulate the overall functional architecture of the interface transfer test device, and provide functions such as communication forwarding and data recording based on the RS422, ARINC664, ARINC429 aviation buses and Ethernet.

[0059] Figure 2 Disclosed is a functional architecture diagram of an interface transfer test device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 2 shown, the overall functional architecture of the interface transfer test device includes an engineering management module, an operation control module, a communication forwarding module, and a data recording module:

[0060] The engineering management module uniformly manages test configuration items in the form of engineering files, supports the creation, saving, and loading functions of projects, and can generate different engineering files for different test configurations, facilitating users to manage tests;

[0061] The operation control module is used for operation control and health status monitoring;

[0062] The communication forwarding module is used to forward data between the test bench data and the controller device bus data;

[0063] The data recording module is used to record and save test data during the test process.

[0064] The test bench data type is UDP data, and the controller device bus data types include Ethernet, ARINC664 bus type, ARINC429 bus type, and RS422 bus type.

[0065] User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a simple connectionless and unreliable transport layer protocol for data packets.

[0066] Ethernet, ARINC 664, ARINC 429, and RS-422 are common standards and protocols used for data transmission in different fields.

[0067] Ethernet is a common local area network (LAN) technology used for transmitting data between computers and other devices.

[0068] ARINC 664 is a standard for data communication between aircraft systems in the aviation field. It is an Ethernet-based avionics data network (ADN) used to provide reliable data transmission, supporting both real-time and non-real-time data.

[0069] ARINC 429 is a commonly used digital data bus standard in the aviation field for connecting various systems on an aircraft, such as flight instruments, navigation, and communication systems.

[0070] RS-422 is a commonly used differential signal transmission standard for transmitting digital signals in data communication. It is typically used for short-distance high-speed transmission, providing high immunity to interference and noise suppression capabilities.

[0071] Step S2: Based on the functional requirements of the interface transfer test device, conduct the software and hardware trial production of the interface transfer test device.

[0072] The software and hardware trial production generally includes: selection of a portable industrial computer, selection of an Ethernet card and a bus communication network card, and software architecture design.

[0073] In the software and hardware trial production, the selection of a portable industrial computer is a very important step. First, the performance of the industrial computer needs to be considered, including requirements for the processor, memory, storage, etc. Second, the interface types and quantities of the industrial computer need to be considered, such as serial ports, network ports, USB interfaces, etc., to ensure that it can meet the connection requirements between system hardware. In addition, the size and weight of the industrial computer also need to be considered to meet the requirements of portable use.

[0074] In the software and hardware trial production, the selection of an Ethernet card and a bus communication network card is also very important. First, the performance of the network card needs to be considered, including requirements for transmission rate, stability, reliability, etc. Second, the interface types and quantities of the network card need to be considered, such as RJ45 interfaces, BNC interfaces, etc., to ensure that it can meet the network connection requirements between system hardware. In addition, the compatibility and expandability of the network card also need to be considered to meet possible future requirements.

[0075] In the software and hardware trial production, software architecture design is also a very important step. First, the software platform and development language of the system need to be determined to ensure the maintainability and expandability of the system. Second, the software architecture of the system needs to be designed, including the relationships and interaction methods between various modules, to ensure the stability and reliability of the system. In addition, corresponding software development specifications and standards also need to be formulated so that developers can follow these specifications and standards for software development.

[0076] Step S3: Define the interface relationship between the interface transfer test device and other systems.

[0077] Defining the interface relationship between the interface transfer test device and other systems can be customized according to the project needs for software projects.

[0078] Figure 3 Disclosed is an interface relationship diagram of the interface transfer test device and other systems according to an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 3 shown, defining the interface relationship between the interface transfer test device 200 and the aircraft / test stand 100, the first communication controller 311, the second communication controller 321, the third communication controller 331, and the fourth communication controller 341.

[0079] The UDP receiving module 101 of the interface transfer test device 200 communicates with the aircraft / test stand 100 using the UDP protocol.

[0080] The first communication controller 311 is an ARINC664 communication controller / ARINC429 communication controller;

[0081] The second communication controller 321 is an ARINC664 communication controller / ARINC429 communication controller;

[0082] The third communication controller 331 is an RS422 communication controller / ARINC664 communication controller;

[0083] The fourth communication controller 341 is an RS422 communication controller.

[0084] The first communication controller 311 is connected to the first monitoring computer 312, the second communication controller 321 is connected to the second monitoring computer 322, the third communication controller 331 is connected to the third monitoring computer 332, and the fourth communication controller 341 is connected to the fourth monitoring computer 342.

[0085] Step S4: Conduct long-term testing on the interface transfer test device and optimize the interface transfer test device according to the test problems.

[0086] Conduct long-time testing on the interface transfer test device and optimize the software code of the interface transfer test device according to the test problems.

[0087] The long-term testing in Step S4 is usually a hardware-in-the-loop test to ensure the stable and reliable long-term operation of the control and communication systems.

[0088] Figure 4 Disclosed is a hardware-in-the-loop test architecture diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 4As shown, the development and verification process of a civil aviation engine control system usually includes activities such as full digital simulation, hardware-in-the-loop simulation, semi-physical simulation, and bench testing. The hardware-in-the-loop test is the hardware-in-the-loop simulation as in Figure 4 the hardware loop simulation.

[0089] Hardware-in-the-loop simulation is an important verification method. Taking on-board electronic devices such as controllers as the test objects and system requirements as the test inputs, it comprehensively and efficiently verifies the control system. Its purpose is to ensure that the system functions and performance meet the requirements, discover and solve system design defects as early as possible, and reduce risks in semi-physical tests and engine tests. In the integrated development and verification work of the control system, hardware-in-the-loop simulation plays a crucial role.

[0090] In step S4, common test problems include data transmission function crashes, serious frame loss in test data saving, and abnormal increase in test data saving space.

[0091] When conducting tests, if the data transmission function crashes, possible reasons include unstable network connections, excessive data transmission volume, server overload, etc. Serious frame loss problems during the test data saving process may be caused by storage device failures, insufficient storage space, data transmission interruptions, etc. The abnormal increase in test data saving space may be caused by irregular data records, duplicate data saving, unreasonable data structures, etc.

[0092] These problems may occur after running for a period of time and need to be closely monitored and resolved in a timely manner to ensure the stability and normal operation of the system.

[0093] Step S5: Connect the interface transfer test device to the aircraft / test bench and the engine test network for debugging. If the debugging is successful, proceed to the corresponding aero-engine test.

[0094] Before "debugging" in step S5, it is necessary to ensure that the communication architecture of the interface transfer test device has passed the reliability test of the hardware-in-the-loop test in step S4.

[0095] After the long-term test in step S4 passes, connect to the aircraft / test bench and the engine test network for debugging. After successful debugging, conduct aero-engine tests.

[0096] The "debugging" mentioned in step S5 is usually an engine non-ignition test, mainly to confirm the normal and stable operation of the engine test and the control system under the premise of ensuring safety and economy.

[0097] The engine non-ignition test is a test method to check the operation of the engine without ignition. This test is usually used to evaluate the mechanical and electrical performance of the engine, as well as the working conditions of the fuel supply and ignition systems.

[0098] If the engine non-ignition test fails, return to step S1 for reconfirmation.

[0099] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of actions for simplicity of explanation, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, because according to one or more embodiments, some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art.

[0100] The present invention provides an interface transfer test device for an aero-engine test, which is made by using the interface transfer method for an aero-engine test as described above, so that smooth transfer between different interfaces can be achieved during the aero-engine test, improving the efficiency and accuracy of the aero-engine test.

[0101] An interface transfer method and an interface transfer test device for an aero-engine test provided by the present invention have an Ethernet interface, an ARINC664 bus interface, an ARINC429 bus interface, and an RS422 interface. This method and device can communicate with other devices through the Ethernet, ARINC664 bus, ARINC429 bus, and RS422 interface, and can ensure long-term stable operation of different types of communications. In addition, the interface transfer has the ability to manage real-time data of multiple communication ports.

[0102] As shown in the present application and the claims, unless the context clearly indicates an exception, words such as "a", "an", "one", and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may also include plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements that have been clearly identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or device may also include other steps or elements.

[0103] Those skilled in the art will understand that information, signals, and data can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips described throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0104] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

[0105] The various illustrative logical modules and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented using a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gates or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0106] The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read from, and write to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0107] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software as a computer program product, the functions may be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. The computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a web site, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of the medium. As used herein, disk and disc include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0108] The above embodiments are provided to those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or changes to the above embodiments without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited by the above embodiments, but should be the maximum scope that conforms to the innovative features mentioned in the claims.

Claims

1. An interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1: Formulate the overall functional architecture of the interface transfer test device according to the test requirements; Step S2: based on the functional requirements of the interface transfer test device, trial production of software and hardware of the interface transfer test device is performed; Step S3: defining the interface relationship between the interface transfer test device and other systems; Step S4: Perform long-term testing on the interface transfer test device, and optimize the interface transfer test device according to the test problems; Step S5: Connect the interface transfer test device to the aircraft / test bench and engine test network for debugging. If the debugging is successful, enter the corresponding aircraft engine test.

2. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The overall functional architecture of the interface transfer test device in step S1 includes an engineering management module, an operation control module, a communication forwarding module and a data recording module: The engineering management module manages the test configuration items in a unified manner in the form of engineering files; The operation control module is used for operation control and health status monitoring; The communication forwarding module is used to forward data between the test bench data and the controller device bus data; The data recording module is used to record and save the test data during the test process.

3. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The test bench data type is UDP data, and the controller device bus data type includes Ethernet, ARINC664 bus type, ARINC429 bus type and RS422 bus type.

4. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The software and hardware trial production of step S2 further includes: selection of a portable industrial computer, selection of an Ethernet card and a bus communication network card, and software architecture design.

5. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S3 further comprises: Define the interface relationship between the interface transfer test device and the aircraft / test bench, RS422 communication controller, ARINC664 communication controller and ARINC429 communication controller.

6. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The long-term test in step S4 includes a hardware in-loop test.

7. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The test problems of step S4 include the problem of data transmission function crash, the problem of serious frame loss in test data storage, and the problem of abnormal increase in test data storage space.

8. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S5 in which the interface transfer test device is connected to the aircraft / test bench and the engine test network for debugging further includes: Connect the interface adapter test device to the aircraft / test bench and engine test network to perform engine non-ignition test.

9. The interface transfer method for aircraft engine testing according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step S5 further comprises: If the engine non-ignition test fails, the process returns to step S1.

10. An interface transfer test device for aircraft engine testing, characterized in that: The invention is manufactured by adopting the interface transfer method for aero-engine testing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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