System-level lightweight communication protocol architecture and method for small aircraft

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of aircraft communication, and particularly relates to a system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture and method of a small aircraft. The communication unit comprises an aircraft internal equipment communication unit and an aircraft external communication unit, and a unified data frame format and interface are adopted between the aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit; and the aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit respectively adopt a unified data frame format and an interface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of aircraft communication technology, and in particular relates to a system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture and method for small aircraft. Background Art

[0002] In modern aerospace, the communication systems of aircraft and related equipment are crucial for ensuring the smooth execution of missions. While aircraft, including aircraft, spacecraft, rockets, and missiles, come in a wide variety, their systems share similar motion principles and control methods, resulting in relatively consistent system components. Aircraft or missile-borne electrical systems typically include general-purpose equipment such as flight control systems, guidance heads, GPS positioning systems, and inertial navigation systems, as well as specialized payloads and their control equipment for specific missions, such as missile warheads and electro-optical pods on reconnaissance aircraft. Furthermore, aircraft operations rely on external command and control equipment, such as airborne relay platforms, ground-based air traffic control systems, and simple handheld control terminals. Therefore, aircraft communication-related systems can be divided into two categories: external command and control equipment and airborne or missile-borne systems. Airborne or missile-borne systems are further divided into aircraft-specific systems and payload systems.

[0003] Aircraft have multiple communication needs during mission execution. Extensive data exchange is required between onboard and missile-borne equipment, such as missile seekers transmitting target miss distances to flight control, and bomber flight control sending bomb release commands to weapon pylons, to ensure coordinated operation of all aircraft systems. When multiple similar aircraft collaborate on missions, such as drone formation flying, coordinated guidance of missiles in the same wave, and coordinated combat between fighter-bombers, effective communication between aircraft is required to share position, velocity, and target detection information. Furthermore, aircraft and command and control systems must maintain communication, such as during in-flight alignment and target setting when fighter jets are equipped with air-to-air missiles, during information exchange between drones or manned aircraft and air traffic control systems during landing, and during two-way information transmission when operating drones using simple control terminals.

[0004] Existing aircraft communication technologies are characterized by a diverse range of hardware interfaces and protocols. To accommodate varying operating environments, communication distances, and industry standards, a variety of communication hardware interfaces exist. Independent equipment vendors often define their own communication protocols to improve product maturity, resulting in the use of different protocols between different devices, including those onboard / missile-borne equipment and command and control systems. Furthermore, in the design of communication protocols, the pursuit of universality and scalability often results in complex frame formats that include a significant amount of unnecessary content. However, these characteristics also present numerous drawbacks. The multitude of hardware interfaces increases the complexity of power supply requirements and the need for numerous debugging tools, resulting in high system development costs and low efficiency. Inconsistent communication protocols between different devices, particularly frame formats, increase the difficulty and workload of software code writing, further increasing development costs and reducing efficiency. Driver development is complex, requiring different driver development tests due to the wide variety of hardware interfaces and communication protocols, making communication link testing labor-intensive and error-prone. The same development position requires high engineer knowledge or a larger number of staff with diverse skills, resulting in high system development costs and low efficiency. The large number of inconsistent hardware interfaces and software protocols within a single system can easily lead to misoperation and parameter configuration errors after product delivery, impacting debugging and use. These issues are hindering the further development and application of aircraft communication systems and urgently need to be addressed through technological innovation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the problems in the prior art, the present invention proposes a system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture and method for small aircraft.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above technical problems is as follows: In the first aspect, a system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture for a small aircraft is provided, wherein the communication unit includes an aircraft internal equipment communication unit and an aircraft external communication unit, and a unified data frame format and interface are adopted between the aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit. The aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit respectively adopt a unified data frame format and interface.

[0007] Furthermore, the data frame includes a synchronization code, an identity ID, a message count, a message ID, a message content and a check byte, wherein the synchronization code is used to identify the starting position of the data frame, and the identity ID is used to distinguish whether the initiator and receiver of the communication belong to the interior of the aircraft, between different aircraft, or between the aircraft and an external command and control device; the message count is used to record the order in which the messages are sent, the message ID is used to identify the type or function of the message, the message content is specific communication data, and the check byte is used to perform error detection on the data frame.

[0008] Furthermore, the aircraft internal equipment communication unit includes a flight control and airspeed meter, a GPS receiver, a seeker, an inertial measurement unit, an aileron servo, a power management system, a fuse, and a data link transceiver controller.

[0009] In a second aspect, a system-level lightweight communication method for a small aircraft is provided, comprising the following steps: Assign unique IDs to each of the aircraft's internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft's external communication unit to identify them as communication nodes within the aircraft, between different aircraft, or between an aircraft and an external command and control device; Starting and initializing the aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit; The sender constructs a data frame according to the communication protocol format, wherein the data frame includes a synchronization code, an identity ID, a message count, a message ID, message content, and a check byte; and transmits the constructed data frame from the sender to the receiver according to the connection relationship between the devices; The receiver receives the data frame and parses it according to the communication protocol format to obtain the specific identity ID, message count, message ID, message content and check byte; The receiver recalculates the check byte of the received data frame and compares it with the check byte attached by the sender; if the check fails, the data frame is discarded; if the check succeeds, the message content is distributed to the corresponding processing module according to the message ID, and the processing module performs corresponding operations based on the message content.

[0010] Furthermore, constructing a data frame specifically includes: Insert a synchronization code at the starting position of the data frame to allow the receiver to identify the starting boundary of the data frame; set the identity ID, fill in the corresponding identity ID according to the initiator and receiver of the communication, and clarify the role of the communication node; assign a unique message count number to each message to record the order in which the messages are sent; fill in the message ID according to the function or type of the message; fill in the message content field with specific communication data; check the synchronization code, identity ID, message count, message ID and message content of the data frame to generate a check byte and append it to the end of the data frame for error detection.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes: real-time monitoring of the connection status, data transmission rate and error rate of the communication link; if communication abnormality is found, a retransmission mechanism or an alarm is triggered.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects: Starting from the system architecture level, the present invention scientifically divides the communication units to make the system structure clear and concise. This clear architectural design greatly improves the understanding of system development tasks by engineering and technical personnel, and reduces development difficulties caused by architectural ambiguity. At the same time, the use of a unified frame format expression brings great convenience to software development. During the development process, the unified frame format is conducive to code reuse. Developers do not need to write a large amount of duplicate code for frames of different formats, which significantly reduces the development workload. In addition, the unified frame format also makes software testing more efficient, reduces the possibility of bugs during software operation, and thus reduces the overall difficulty of system-level communication protocol design, development, and testing, effectively improving development efficiency.

[0013] This invention unifies the frame format and hardware interface configuration, a move that offers numerous advantages. Regarding parameter configuration, the fixed, unified, and simplified configuration process significantly reduces the amount of work required. This reduction in configuration steps effectively reduces the probability of parameter configuration errors in actual use. Furthermore, the unified configuration approach reduces the complexity of logistical maintenance and alleviates maintenance challenges caused by configuration differences. This not only improves the system's portability, enabling easier deployment and use in diverse environments, but also enhances system availability, ensuring stable operation in all situations.

[0014] The present invention has been deeply designed at the system architecture level, with a clear analysis of the identity attributes of relevant communication equipment, and a unified representation method for identity ID and command ID. This design approach can not only accurately distinguish between onboard equipment and external equipment, but also effectively distinguish between different devices on the same aircraft. Based on this, by reasonably customizing the identity ID and command ID, the access unit and payload functions can be easily expanded to meet the needs of different tasks, giving the system good scalability. In addition, the frame format cleverly uses count and check bytes. Although the system has been simplified at the software level, it can still guarantee a certain degree of robustness, ensure the accuracy and reliability of data transmission, and provide a strong guarantee for the stable operation of the system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the weapon system communication architecture; Figure 2Unified hardware interface examples for missile-to-missile communication architecture; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the process of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose of the invention, the following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, describes in detail the specific implementation methods, structures, features, and effects of the technical solutions proposed by the present invention. Specific features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments may be combined in any suitable form. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, a system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture suitable for a small aircraft is provided, wherein a communication unit includes an aircraft internal device communication unit and an aircraft external communication unit, wherein the aircraft internal device communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit use a unified data frame format, and the aircraft internal device communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit respectively use a unified data frame format; The data frame includes a synchronization code, an identity ID, a message count, a message ID, a message content and a check byte. The synchronization code is used to identify the starting position of the data frame, and the identity ID indicates whether it belongs to the inside or outside of the aircraft; the message count is used to record the order in which the messages are sent, the message ID is used to identify the type or function of the message, the message content is specific communication data, and the check byte is used to perform error detection on the data frame.

[0019] In a specific embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the small air-to-ground missile weapon system mainly includes four parts: air-to-ground missile A, air-to-ground missile B, carrier aircraft, and ground control station.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the communication architecture of the present invention includes two major parts. The first part is external communication of the aircraft, namely the external communication of the air-to-ground missile, including communication between air-to-ground missile A and the carrier aircraft, communication between air-to-ground missile B and the carrier aircraft, communication between air-to-ground missile A and air-to-ground missile B, and communication between the carrier aircraft and the ground control station. The second part is communication between missile-borne devices. The figure only shows the communication between missile-borne devices of air-to-ground missile A, and the communication between missile B and air-to-ground missile A is similar.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the communication between the missile-borne equipment includes the communication between the flight control and the airspeed meter, GPS receiver, seeker, inertial measurement unit, aileron servo, power management system, fuze, and data link transceiver controller.

[0022] Table 1 shows the data frame format of the present invention. The data frame includes a synchronization code, an identity ID, a message count, a message ID, a message content, and a check byte.

[0023] Table 1 Data frame format

[0024] Synchronization code A, byte 1: 0xFF, byte 2: 0x90.

[0025] B: Identity ID. Byte 3 indicates the scoped identity of the current communication unit. All units within the same aircraft use the same scoped identity. Byte 4 also indicates the specific communication unit within the aircraft. For example, for air-to-ground missile A, its internal communication unit identity ID is shown in Table 1.

[0026] C: Message count of the current communication unit sending messages. The receiver can determine whether there is a communication interruption based on the message count.

[0027] D: Message ID, used to describe the specific meaning of the following byte data. Taking air-to-ground missile A as an example, the meaning of each message ID is shown in Table 3. In actual use, the message ID can be defined or expanded according to actual needs.

[0028] E: Message content, used in conjunction with the message ID, to describe the valid data transmitted by the current data frame.

[0029] F: Check byte, the sum of the 3rd to 8th bytes and the lower 8 bits In an instruction, a 16-bit word is transmitted with the low byte first and the high byte last. For signed numbers, the high bit is the sign bit, with a value of 1 representing a negative number and 0 representing a positive number, in two's complement format.

[0030] Table 2 Internal communication unit ID of air-to-ground missile A

[0031] Table 3 Internal communication message ID of air-to-ground missile A

[0032] Figure 2 In, right Figure 1 The unified hardware interface between devices is further explained in the bullet. Figure 2 In, according to Figure 1 The basic connection relationship is to connect the airspeed meter, GPS receiver, seeker, inertial measurement unit, aileron servo, power management system, fuze, data link transceiver controller through Figure 2 The hardware connection method shown is connected to the flight controller. The connection relationship of each flight controller communication interface is detailed in Table 4.

[0033] Table 4 Connection relationship between each communication interface of the flight control and the missile equipment in the example

[0034] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of the present application also provide a system-level lightweight communication method for a small aircraft. The implementation solution provided by this system-level lightweight communication method for a small aircraft is similar to the implementation solution described in the aforementioned system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture for a small aircraft. Therefore, the specific limitations in the embodiments provided below can be found in the aforementioned limitations of the system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture for a small aircraft, and will not be repeated here.

[0035] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3 , provides a system-level lightweight communication method for a small aircraft, comprising the following steps: Step 100: Assign unique IDs to the aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit respectively, for identifying them as communication nodes belonging to aircraft internal equipment, between different aircraft, or between an aircraft and an external command and control device.

[0036] Step 200: Start and initialize the aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit.

[0037] Configure the interface parameters of each communication unit to ensure that the aircraft's internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft's external communication unit use a unified data frame format and interface to prepare for communication between devices.

[0038] Step 300: The sender constructs a data frame according to the communication protocol format, wherein the data frame includes a synchronization code, an identity ID, a message count, a message ID, a message content, and a check byte; and transmits the constructed data frame from the sender to the receiver according to the connection relationship between the devices.

[0039] During the software execution within each device, data frames are constructed according to the communication protocol format. A synchronization code is inserted at the beginning of the data frame, allowing the receiver to identify the starting boundary of the data frame. Identity IDs are set, corresponding to the initiator and receiver of the communication, to clarify the roles of the communication nodes. A unique message count number is assigned to each message to record the order in which messages are sent. A message ID is filled in based on the function or type of the message. Specific communication data is entered into the message content field. A checksum calculation is performed on the synchronization code, identity ID, message count, message ID, and message content of the data frame to generate a checksum byte, which is appended to the end of the data frame for error detection.

[0040] According to the connection relationship between devices and the specific design of the communication function, the sender sends the data frame.

[0041] Step 400: The receiver receives the data frame and parses the data frame according to the communication protocol format to obtain the specific identity ID, message count, message ID, message content and check byte; The receiver recalculates the check byte of the received data frame and compares it with the check byte attached by the sender; if the check fails, the data frame is discarded; if the check succeeds, the message content is distributed to the corresponding processing module according to the message ID, and the processing module performs corresponding operations based on the message content.

[0042] Each processing module performs corresponding operations based on the message content. For example, the flight control system adjusts the flight attitude according to the navigation instructions; the power management system returns battery power information according to the status query instructions; and the data link transceiver controller forwards the instructions of the external command device to the internal device.

[0043] In some embodiments, it also includes: real-time monitoring of the connection status, data transmission rate and error rate of the communication link; if communication abnormality is found, triggering a retransmission mechanism or an alarm.

[0044] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture for small aircraft, characterized by: The communication unit includes an aircraft internal equipment communication unit and an aircraft external communication unit. The aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit use a unified data frame format and interface. The aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit respectively use a unified data frame format and interface.

2. A system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture for a small aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The data frame includes a synchronization code, an identity ID, a message count, a message ID, a message content and a check byte. The synchronization code is used to identify the starting position of the data frame. The identity ID is used to distinguish whether the initiator and receiver of the communication belong to the interior of the aircraft, between different aircraft, or between the aircraft and an external command and control device. The message count is used to record the order in which the messages are sent. The message ID is used to identify the type or function of the message. The message content is specific communication data. The check byte is used to perform error detection on the data frame.

3. The system-level lightweight communication protocol architecture for a small aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aircraft internal equipment communication unit includes flight control and airspeed meter, GPS receiver, seeker, inertial measurement unit, aileron servo, power management system, fuse, and data link transceiver controller.

4. A system-level lightweight communication method for small aircraft, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Assign unique IDs to each of the aircraft's internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft's external communication unit to identify them as communication nodes within the aircraft, between different aircraft, or between an aircraft and an external command and control device; Starting and initializing the aircraft internal equipment communication unit and the aircraft external communication unit; The sender constructs a data frame according to the communication protocol format, wherein the data frame includes a synchronization code, an identity ID, a message count, a message ID, message content, and a check byte; and transmits the constructed data frame from the sender to the receiver according to the connection relationship between the devices; The receiver receives the data frame and parses it according to the communication protocol format to obtain the specific identity ID, message count, message ID, message content and check byte; The receiver recalculates the check byte of the received data frame and compares it with the check byte added by the sender; If the check fails, the data frame is discarded; If the verification is successful, the message content is distributed to the corresponding processing module according to the message ID, and the processing module performs corresponding operations according to the message content.

5. The system-level lightweight communication method for a small aircraft according to claim 4, characterized in that: Construct a data frame, including: Insert a synchronization code at the starting position of the data frame to allow the receiver to identify the starting boundary of the data frame; set the identity ID, fill in the corresponding identity ID according to the initiator and receiver of the communication, and clarify the role of the communication node; assign a unique message count number to each message to record the order in which the messages are sent; fill in the message ID according to the function or type of the message; fill in the message content field with specific communication data; check the synchronization code, identity ID, message count, message ID and message content of the data frame to generate a check byte and append it to the end of the data frame for error detection.

6. A system-level lightweight communication method for a small aircraft according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: Real-time monitoring of the connection status, data transmission rate and error rate of the communication link; If communication anomalies are found, a retransmission mechanism or an alarm will be triggered.

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