Aircraft Avionics Backup Control via Power Line Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing aircraft systems require multiple avionics devices for each control target to ensure safety, leading to increased cost, volume, and weight, as well as complex signal line management and switching during malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a power line communication system where avionics devices are connected via exclusive-use signal lines and a control switch unit that allows for seamless switching to a backup avionics device via a power line communication unit when an abnormality occurs, reducing the need for redundant avionics devices and simplifying the switching process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple avionics devices are provided for each control target to ensure safety, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power line communication unit enables avionics devices to perform dual functions: controlling designated control targets through exclusive signal lines and providing backup control through the power line network. This multi-functionality allows a single avionics device to serve multiple control targets, reducing the total number of devices needed while maintaining safety redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The power line communication unit acts as an intermediary communication channel between avionics devices and control targets. By utilizing the existing power line infrastructure as a communication medium, the system enables backup control paths without requiring separate dedicated signal lines for redundancy, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Reliability
If multiple avionics devices are provided for each control target, then reliability is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power line communication unit enables avionics devices to perform dual functions: controlling designated control targets through exclusive signal lines and providing backup control through the power line network. This multi-functionality allows a single avionics device to serve multiple control targets, reducing the total number of devices needed while maintaining safety redundancy.
3Reliability
If multiple avionics devices are provided for each control target, then reliability is improved, but the number of signal lines and switching complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the communication function with the existing power line infrastructure. By combining power transmission and data communication into a single infrastructure, the system eliminates the need for separate communication lines for backup control, thereby reducing signal line complexity while maintaining safety redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The power line communication unit enables avionics devices to perform dual functions: controlling designated control targets through exclusive signal lines and providing backup control through the power line network. This multi-functionality allows a single avionics device to serve multiple control targets, reducing the total number of devices needed while maintaining safety redundancy.
4Device complexity
If redundant avionics devices are minimized, then cost and weight are reduced, but switching capability during malfunction must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The power line communication unit acts as an intermediary communication channel between avionics devices and control targets. By utilizing the existing power line infrastructure as a communication medium, the system enables backup control paths without requiring separate dedicated signal lines for redundancy, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes backup control paths through the power line communication network in advance, before malfunctions occur. This preliminary setup ensures that when a malfunction is detected, the control switch unit can immediately activate the backup path without requiring complex real-time routing decisions, thereby maintaining rapid switching capability with minimal redundancy.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft includes a plurality of control targets, avionics devices and a control switch unit. The control targets each includes a power line communication unit configured to perform communication via a power line. The avionics devices are respectively connected with the control targets via exclusive-use signal lines. The avionics devices are configured to control the control targets via the signal lines. The avionics devices each includes a PLC unit configured to perform communication via the power line. The control switch unit is configured to, when an abnormality occurs in any of the avionics devices, cause another one of the avionics devices to control the control target which has been controlled by the any of the avionics devices, via the power line.