Heterogeneous SOM Control for Lightweight Reliable Unmanned Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing unmanned vehicle control systems are cumbersome, weight-intensive, and limited in processing capability, with traditional backplane architectures prone to mechanical and electrical failures due to environmental stress and requiring significant space and weight, which is not suitable for high-stress applications like UAVs.
Innovation Solution
A system-on-module (SOM) control system with heterogeneous processing systems, including a first circuit board with a volatile FPGA for vehicle control and a second circuit board with a non-volatile FPGA for mission control, providing a compact, lightweight, and robust solution with integrated input/output interfaces, enabling reliable and certifiable control of unmanned vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional backplane architectures are used for control systems, then processing capability and reliability are improved through redundancy, but weight and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines vehicle control and mission control functions into a single integrated control system with shared processing resources. The first processing system handles both vehicle control processes and mission control processes, eliminating the need for separate redundant hardware systems. This merging reduces weight while maintaining reliability through software-based redundancy and monitoring mechanisms.
2Productivity
If traditional backplane architectures are used for control systems, then processing capability is improved through multiple dedicated systems, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first processing system is designed as a universal platform that can execute multiple types of processes including vehicle control processes, mission control processes, and monitoring functions. This multi-functional approach maintains high processing capability while reducing device complexity by eliminating dedicated hardware for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into distinct process types (vehicle control, mission control, monitoring) that are logically separated but executed on the same hardware platform. This segmentation allows for organized process management and reduced complexity compared to integrated monolithic systems.
3Productivity
If traditional backplane architectures are used for control systems, then processing capability is improved through multiple systems, but space requirements and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple control functions are merged into a single processing system, dramatically reducing the physical space required for the control system. Instead of separate hardware systems for vehicle control and mission control, both functions share the same processing platform, reducing overall system footprint.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system-on-module (SOM) for controlling an unmanned vehicle (UV) is provided. The SOM comprises a circuit board 120, 200, a first processing system 230 in operative communication with the circuit board, and a second processing system 232 in operative communication with the circuit board. The first processing system 230 includes one or more first processing units 302 and a volatile programmable logic array 305. The first processing system 230 is configured to execute a first process for the UV. The second processing system 232 includes one or more second processing units 322 and a non-volatile programmable logic array 325. The second processing system 232 is configured to monitor execution of the first process by the first processing system 230.