Active Control Stick Backup Processing Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern aircraft flight control systems face challenges in preventing common mode failures, which can propagate from primary to redundant components, leading to increased cost, weight, and complexity, especially in distributed fly-by-wire systems. Additionally, active control sticks require significant processing power for advanced features like force feedback, potentially overburdening primary flight control electronics.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a distributed backup control system with the active control stick's processing unit, utilizing separate processors and electronics to generate both primary and backup control signals, allowing the active control stick to function as a backup controller and leveraging its computing resources without adding a separate backup system. This configuration includes independent and dissimilar processing and communication features compared to the primary control system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fully redundant backup control system is configured to prevent common mode failures, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity, cost, and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The active control stick processing unit is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as the primary flight control processor during normal operation and as a backup processor when the primary control system fails. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate dedicated backup control system, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability through the failover capability.
2Reliability
If a fully redundant backup control system is configured to prevent common mode failures, then system reliability is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control stick processing unit is designed to serve dual purposes: primary flight control processing during normal operation and backup control processing when needed. By making the existing control stick electronics multi-functional rather than adding separate backup components, the system achieves redundancy without the associated weight penalty of additional hardware.
3Ease of operation
If active control stick features like force feedback are implemented, then pilot situational awareness is improved, but processing power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The active control stick processing unit is designed to be self-sufficient in handling its own advanced features like force feedback and stick feel generation. By dedicating its own processing resources to these functions rather than relying on the primary flight control system, it can provide enhanced pilot awareness without overburdening the primary control electronics, and can independently execute backup control functions when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate to a flight control system for controlling an aircraft in flight having a backup control system integrated into an active control stick. The actuated control stick may include a processing unit that includes independent and separate hardware and/or software dedicated to the primary control system and the backup control system. For the primary control system, the processing unit may receive a sensed primary control stick signal and communicate with a primary processor, which may be configured to generate a primary control signal. For the backup control system, the processing unit may receive a sensed backup control stick signal and generate a backup control signal. The processing unit may also generate tactile signal for use by the actuated control stick to adjust the feel of a pilot's control stick.