Aircraft Control Electronics With Reconfigurable FPGA Interfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices for controlling flight control surfaces in aircraft are limited to specific types of sensors and drive elements, making them inflexible for use in different applications.
Innovation Solution
A combination of a microcontroller and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) core with configurable signal allocation, allowing the electronic device to adapt its functionality to various flight control surfaces and sensors, enabling universal configuration and use across different applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a specific electronic device is developed for a specific application with specific sensors and drive elements, then the device can be optimized for that application, but the device cannot be used for different applications
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic device incorporates a configurable FPGA core that can be programmed to support different sensor types and drive elements through configuration data stored in a memory module. This allows a single device design to serve multiple applications by loading appropriate configuration data, eliminating the need for application-specific hardware variants while maintaining optimized performance for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes its operational parameters by loading different configuration data into the FPGA core and memory module. This configuration data defines routing connections, signal processing parameters, and interface specifications, allowing the device to adapt its behavior and functionality to match different applications without physical modification.
2Reliability
If different electronic devices are used for different applications with specific sensors and drive elements, then each device can be optimized, but the overall system complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple application-specific electronic devices into a single universal device. By combining a configurable FPGA core, memory module for configuration data, and routing means within one device architecture, the system reduces the total number of components while maintaining the ability to be optimized for different applications through software/configuration rather than hardware differentiation.
3Reliability
If application-specific electronic devices are used, then the electrical interfaces are compatible with specific sensors and drive elements, but the interfaces are not compatible with other types of sensors or drive elements
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical interfaces of the electronic device are made dynamic and reconfigurable through the FPGA core. The routing means and interface configurations can be dynamically adjusted by loading different configuration data to match different sensor types and drive elements. This dynamic reconfiguration capability allows the same physical interface to be adapted to various signal types and protocols as needed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to an aircraft comprising at least one component and at least one electronic device for controlling the component, wherein the electronic device has at least one interface, by means of which signals can be provided for controlling the component, wherein the electronic device has a combination of at least one micro-controller and at least one FPGA core, which are connected to one another via a communications connection, wherein the FPGA core can be configured such that signals can be processed that are each different from one another according to the configuration of the FPGA core.