Smart Translator Box for Legacy Aircraft Digital Interface Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy aircraft lack the necessary hardware and software to interface with modern MIL-STD-1760 digital stores, requiring significant and costly modifications to integrate new 1760 stores, which may not provide full functionality.
Innovation Solution
A smart translator 'SMARTX' box that connects an aircraft with an analog AGM-65 interface to a store with a digital MIL-STD-1760 interface, allowing seamless operation without modifying the aircraft or store electronics or software, by interpreting and translating signals between the two interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If legacy aircraft with analog AGM-65 interface are modified to integrate modern MIL-STD-1760 digital stores, then compatibility with new stores is achieved, but aircraft complexity and modification cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a translator box as an intermediary device that connects the legacy analog AGM-65 interface to modern digital MIL-STD-1760 stores. The translator box contains a processor that receives analog signals from the aircraft, converts them to digital signals, and transmits them to the store via a digital data bus. This intermediary approach enables compatibility without modifying the legacy aircraft systems, thereby resolving the technical contradiction between achieving modern store compatibility and avoiding complex modifications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If significant hardware and software modifications are made to legacy aircraft, then 1760 store integration is enabled, but modification cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the integration solution into a separate, standalone translator box that is independent of the legacy aircraft systems. By dividing the functionality into discrete components (translator box, digital data bus, processor), the system avoids the need for comprehensive hardware and software modifications to the aircraft itself. This segmentation approach reduces modification cost and time while maintaining full 1760 store integration capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If full 1760 compliance is implemented in legacy aircraft, then complete functionality with modern stores is achieved, but aircraft system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The translator box serves as an intermediary that handles all digital signal processing and conversion, allowing the legacy aircraft to maintain its original analog AGM-65 interface architecture. The processor within the translator box manages the conversion between analog aircraft signals and digital store communications, enabling full 1760 functionality without increasing the complexity of the aircraft's native electronics or software systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A smart translator "SMARTX" box provides an aircraft outfitted with an analog AGM-65 ("Maverick") interface with the same "look and feel" and capability to use a store outfitted with a digital MIL-STD-1760 interface as if the aircraft was fully 1760 compliant without any modifications to the electronics or software of either the aircraft or store.