Virtual CAN Bus Interface for Simulated Intra-Aircraft Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interacting with multiple physical CAN buses in aircraft is challenging due to the need for many connectors and separate tapping, limiting the accuracy and interfacing capabilities of aircraft simulators for training, maintenance, and testing.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that wrap simulated intra-aircraft communication to a physical controller area network by using a computing device to receive simulator data, convert phenomenal signals, and input digital messages back into the aircraft simulator, facilitating accurate simulation and communication between simulators and aircraft components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple physical CAN buses are used for redundancy and separation of concerns, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to many connectors and separate tapping requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple physical CAN buses into a single virtual CAN bus, allowing multiple logical communication channels to be multiplexed over one physical interface. This reduces the number of physical connectors and tapping points while maintaining the redundancy and separation of concerns through virtualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual CAN bus as an intermediary layer between the simulator and the multiple physical CAN buses. This virtual bus acts as a mediator that simplifies the interface requirements while maintaining connections to all necessary physical buses through a single physical connection point.
2Measurement precision
If multiple physical CAN buses are tapped separately, then communication accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in interacting with all buses
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual CAN bus provides a universal interface that can communicate with multiple physical CAN buses through a single connection. This multi-functional interface allows the simulator to interact with all necessary buses without requiring separate tapping for each, improving ease of operation while maintaining communication accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the CAN bus interface that replicates the electrical and protocol characteristics of physical buses. This virtual copy allows accurate simulation and communication without requiring direct physical tapping of multiple buses, simplifying the interfacing process while maintaining communication fidelity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If simulated intra-aircraft communication is wrapped to physical CAN bus, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to signal conversion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical signal conversion hardware with software-based virtualization. The virtual CAN bus uses software to handle protocol conversion and signal mapping, eliminating the need for complex physical signal conversion circuits while maintaining adaptability to different bus configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects relate to method and systems for simulated intra-aircraft communication using a physical network. An exemplary method includes receiving simulator data from an aircraft simulator, disaggregating a simulated digital message from the simulator data, abstracting a simulated signal as a function of the simulated digital message, transmitting the simulated signal on a physical network, receiving, using at least an aircraft component communicative with the physical network, the simulated signal by way of the physical network, transmitting a phenomenal signal by way of the physical network, receiving the phenomenal signal by way of the physical network, converting a phenomenal digital message as a function of the phenomenal signal, and inputting the phenomenal digital message to the aircraft simulator.