Avionics Data Acquisition System With Bidirectional Protocol Interfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current data acquisition systems in aircraft and other vehicles face challenges in efficiently managing and transmitting data across networks, particularly in optimizing resource usage and reducing costs while maintaining system observability and diagnostics efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A data recording module is implemented within the system, allowing for the recording and storage of all available data parameters, with unidirectional interfaces to separate critical and non-critical domains, enabling flexible observability and efficient data management by transmitting data only when requested, thus reducing bandwidth and transmission costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If data is continuously transmitted from aircraft applications to ground stations, then system observability is improved, but network bandwidth consumption and transmission costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem observabilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth and transmission costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic data transmission where data is collected and stored in a database during flight operations, then transmitted to ground stations at scheduled intervals or when requested. This replaces continuous transmission with periodic batches, reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining system observability through the stored data archive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent pre-collects and stores data in an onboard database during flight operations before transmission to ground stations. This preliminary data accumulation allows the system to maintain complete observability records while deferring transmission to optimal times, thereby reducing actual network bandwidth usage and transmission costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If data is stored locally in the aircraft system, then data availability for diagnostics is improved, but device complexity and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata availability for diagnosticsVSAvoidstorage and data management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal database structure that serves multiple functions: storing data for local diagnostic purposes, maintaining an archive for later transmission, and supporting both immediate and deferred data access scenarios. This multi-functional database reduces overall system complexity by eliminating the need for separate storage systems for different purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a database as an intermediary layer between data sources and transmission interfaces. This mediator consolidates data management operations, simplifying the architecture by centralizing storage and retrieval functions while reducing the complexity of direct point-to-point data connections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If separate critical and non-critical domains are maintained, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and integration difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem reliability through domain separationVSAvoidintegration complexity across domains
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal data collection and storage mechanism that operates across both critical and non-critical domains without requiring domain-specific implementations. This unified approach maintains the reliability benefits of domain separation while reducing integration complexity through a common data interface and storage structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3287990B1Data acquisition system and methods for data acquisition
Publication Date: 2020.09.30 AIRBUS OPERATIONS GMBH
  • EP3287990B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3

AI summary

A data acquisition system, particularly for use in avionics systems, includes a control and monitoring apparatus having a plurality of electronic application components and a multiplexer coupled to the plurality of electronic application components, a domain network interface coupled to the multiplexer, a data collection component having a data flow controller and a data collection memory component coupled to the data flow controller, a plurality of external interfaces, and an interface component implemented in the data collection component and coupled between the data flow controller and the plurality of external interfaces. The interface component is configured to allow bidirectional protocol-based communication between the data flow controller and systems connected to the plurality of external interfaces.