Avionics Acquisition Channel Self-Test for Aging Signal Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acquisition systems for critical avionics face high development, production, and operational costs due to stringent safety standards, complexity, and limited ability to detect flaws beyond sudden failures, leading to oversized systems with increased electricity consumption, bulk, and weight.
Innovation Solution
An acquisition system that includes self-test means to analyze and correct digital signals by dynamically executing a reverse operating model, allowing for detection of normal, downgraded, or failure modes, and incorporating learning mechanisms to calibrate parameters and compensate for accuracy losses, thereby adapting to aging and reducing unnecessary oversizing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If redundant acquisition systems with lower criticality level are used to decrease costs, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but device complexity increases due to multiple voting systems
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition system performs self-tests autonomously using stored reference signals and a reverse operating model to detect flaws and determine operating modes without external intervention, eliminating the need for complex external monitoring and voting systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous self-testing with feedback loops that compare acquired signals against reference signals, automatically detect flaws, determine operating modes, and trigger corrective actions, creating a closed-loop system that replaces complex open-loop redundancy
2Reliability
If acquisition systems are oversized in production to avoid aging, then reliability is improved, but weight and bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its operating mode based on real-time self-test results and detected aging effects, transitioning between normal, downgraded, and failure modes as needed, replacing static oversized design with dynamic adaptation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters based on detected aging and flaw conditions, adjusting accuracy thresholds and correction strategies to maintain reliability without requiring permanent oversizing of hardware
3Reliability
If self-test means with reverse operating model are added to detect flaws, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a reverse operating model that copies and inverts the normal signal flow path, injecting reference signals through the acquisition channel and comparing results to detect flaws, using virtual modeling instead of physical redundancy
Solution Approach 2:
The self-test means serve multiple functions: they generate reference signals, acquire test signals, compare signals to detect flaws, determine operating modes, and trigger corrections, consolidating what would otherwise require separate systems into a single multi-functional module
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for acquisition of at least one physical variable, in particular for a critical on-board avionics system, comprising a sensor for measuring the physical variable; an acquisition channel receiving an analog signal corresponding to the physical variable measured by the sensor and transforming this analog signal into a corresponding digital signal, at least some of these transformations being able to be carried out with loss of accuracy; self-test unit for checking the integrity of the acquisition channel and generating a self-test result. The system further comprises an analyzer analyzing the self-test result in order to determine an operating mode of the acquisition channel, and for activating the operation of means for correcting the signal delivered by the channel.