Multi-core Processor Flight Control Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing redundant flight control systems for aerial vehicles, particularly in smaller UAVs, face challenges due to increased weight, power consumption, and reduced payload capacity from the use of multiple independent processors, which are not efficiently managed within each flight control computer.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a multi-core processor within each flight control computer, where multiple independent flight control programs operate on different processor cores, providing redundancy without the need for additional physical processors, allowing for robust flight control systems with minimal weight and power consumption increases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple independent processors are used in flight control systems, then redundancy and robustness are improved, but weight and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent flight control programs onto a single multi-core processor, merging what would traditionally require separate physical processors. This consolidation maintains the redundancy and robustness of having multiple independent flight control computations while eliminating the weight penalty of multiple discrete processor units, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and weight.
2Reliability
If multiple independent processors are used in flight control systems, then redundancy and robustness are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple flight control programs onto a single multi-core processor, reducing the total power consumption compared to using multiple independent processors while maintaining the same level of redundancy. The shared hardware resources of the multi-core processor reduce overall energy usage while preserving independent flight control computations.
3Reliability
If multiple independent processors are used in flight control systems, then redundancy is improved, but payload capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple flight control programs onto a single multi-core processor, the patent reduces the overall system weight, which directly increases payload capacity. The weight savings from eliminating redundant physical processors translates to increased useful load capacity while maintaining full redundancy through software-based independent flight control programs.
4Reliability
If multiple independent processors are used in flight control systems, then redundancy is improved, but operational time decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple flight control programs onto a single multi-core processor, reducing power consumption and extending operational time. The reduced energy usage allows the aerial vehicle to operate longer on the same power source while maintaining full redundancy through independent flight control computations on different processor cores.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a flight control computer that includes a multi-core processor. Independent flight control programs of the flight control computer are loaded onto and execute from each of the independent processor cores of the multi-core processor. Each flight control program receives an input and independently computes a core output state. The core output states are exchanged among flight control programs operating on the different processor cores and a flight control output for the flight control computer is determined based on the independently generated core output states.